Taxi driver guilty of killing Olympic MTB star Burry Stander

A minibus taxi driver in South Africa has been convicted of culpable homicide in connection with the death of Olympic mountain bike rider Burry Stander in January 2013.

Njabulo Nyawose was also convicted of failure to obey a traffic sign as Stander, aged 25, was hit by his vehicle riding through Shelly Beach on the KwaZulu-Natal coast on his way home from a training ride.

The prosecution case was that Nyawose was travelling south on the Marine Drive when he crossed the centre line to turn right, and hit Stander, who was heading north, reports Citizen.co.za.

In South Africa, as in the UK, vehicles are driven on the left, and Nyawose had claimed that the damage caused to Stander’s bike indicated had been travelling too fast.

However, Magistrate Charmaine Barnard, sitting at Port Shepstone Magistrates’ Court, rejected that defence.

Stander’s widow Cherise, quoted on Eyewitness News, said: “I’m very emotional at this stage, but happy with the verdict.

“I think the fact that he was found guilty is a very good.

“He ultimately made a mistake that day, and it won’t bring Burry back but it’s definitely justice for him.”