A former Nelson Mandela Bay advertising executive charged with the death of a teenager after he ploughed into a motorbike allegedly had a blood alcohol level that was three times over the legal driving limit at the time.
Ross Ventress, 45, a former creative director at Port Elizabeth advertising agency Boomtown, appeared briefly in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court on Monday where the charge sheet showed his blood alcohol level was three times over the limit for driving.
Ventress faces charges of culpable homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol after he smashed his Land Rover Discovery into a motorbike on the corner of Heugh Road and 6th Avenue in Walmer late on January 13.
Paul Manyadzwa, 18, who was a passenger on the motorbike, was flung about 40m from the point of impact, landing in the 6th Avenue shopping centre carpark.
He died shortly afterwards. The driver of the motorbike, PE College student Warren Swart, sustained serious injuries including an almost severed leg and collapsed lung.
Ventress was arrested at the scene, but later released on R1,000 bail.
At the time, witnesses claimed to have seen Ventress walk across to a nearby shop and buy himself a chocolate and a Coke before police arrived.
According to the charge sheet, Ventress was nearly three times over the legal blood alcohol limit, which is 0.05g/100ml blood.
It is believed Ventress was on his way home from a function when he turned right into 6th Avenue and collided with the motorbike at about midnight.
Ventress, who is being represented by advocate Danie Gouws, has since left Port Elizabeth and is now living in Cape Town.
Court documents show that when Ventress was supposed to appear in court on June 18, he was in Cape Town “to seek employment” – a warrant of arrest was issued but it was retracted.
Prosecutor Andre Krichner told magistrate Patrick Ntoyi that the state was ready to proceed with the trial.
A provisional date has been set down for October 2.