Mother upset as ‘drunk’ driver flees accident scene
'Metro police officers asked people who were around for both drivers involved and nobody came forth'
A Terenure mother is distressed following a car crash on Sunday, January 29, which left her seven-year-old son injured.
The mother was travelling with her son, uncle and helper in an Audi A4 when the accident occurred at the intersection on Zuurfontein Road and Bergrivier Drive in Terenure, at about 7am.
An Audi A3 slammed into the back of their vehicle while they were stationary at the traffic lights.
“My son was in the front passenger seat next to his uncle who was driving. I was sitting in the back with our helper,” his mother said.
The impact of the crash caused her son to bump his forehead on the dashboard, injuring him.
The driver of the Audi A3 then allegedly tried to flee the scene, leaving behind his injured passenger.
“As we approached the vehicle that hit us the driver fled and left his passenger behind, who was trapped by the seat belt. Other motorists, including taxi drivers, managed to catch him. Both him (driver) and the passenger were drunk,” the mother claims.
Metro police and emergency services arrived at the scene about 10 to 15 minutes later.
The mother says at this point, while her son was being assessed by paramedics, a female metro police officer came over to her by the ambulance and asked about injuries.
“I told her only my son was injured. She then asked for his age. I told her and she jotted down the information on a piece of paper. And that was it.”
The mother says nothing else was required of them.
“Even after mentioning that the guys who hit us were drunk, nothing was done. No justice.”
She then left in the ambulance taking her son to Arwyp.
However, the metro police gave a slightly different version of the story, with the metro police officers who attended to the scene saying they arrived at about 8am and that none of the drivers of the cars came forward when asked for.
Acting EMPD spokesperson, Kobeli Mokheseng, said the officers who attended to the scene were interviewed and said when they arrived, the ambulance was already transporting patients.
“At the intersection there were two damaged Audis, an A3 and an A4, with no occupants inside,” Mokheseng explained.
“Metro police officers asked people who were around for both drivers involved and nobody came forth. Before the officers left the scene, they gave advice to a group of people standing around that whoever was involved in the crash must report to the nearest police station within 24 hours.”
Mokheseng said a breathalyzer was not used because the drivers were unknown.
The mother was left upset and disappointed by the incident and questioned the duties of metro police officers.
“What is the job of these traffic officers? How do you let loose a drunken driver? It’s so sad how arrogant drivers are left to get away with their wrongdoing.”
Although her son was not admitted to hospital, he still has pains on his forehead. But, she says, the grade 2 learner insisted on going to school the very next day, on Monday, as he didn’t want to miss school.
Sebenza SAPS spokesperson, Sgt Sharon Tsotsotso, confirmed that an accident report was formally opened at their police station.
