A well-known Lowvelder, André Kinnear, was forced off the R36 near Ohrigstad on December 6 after a khaki-coloured Toyota Cruiser drifted into his lane.

Kinnear was en route to Dullstroom with a friend’s teenage son around midday for the Steelwings Motorcycle Club year-end function.

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He explained that he was forced to brake and swerve off the road to avoid a head-on collision. “It was either the Cruiser’s bumper or the ground,” he said.

The Cruiser’s driver stopped briefly but drove off when the boy approached the vehicle. The owner of the farm where Kinnear fell called an ER24 ambulance, and he was taken to a medical centre in Lydenburg.

“The service from ER24 was excellent,” he said.

He sustained multiple wounds to his legs, knees and fingers, and was in severe pain.

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Doctors discharged him the same day with only painkillers and antibiotics.

“They didn’t even take x-rays or anything,” André’s daughter, Dominique, said.

She added that she plans to take legal action for the inadequate medical care he received.

The following day, André struggled to breathe and went to Mediclinic Nelspruit from his home in Tzaneen.

Due to a shortage of ICU beds, he was transferred to Mediclinic Sandton.

Further examinations revealed that he had three broken ribs that had pushed into his lungs, causing his left lung to collapse.

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The family has appealed to the public for any information regarding the Cruiser and its driver, offering a reward for accurate information.

Members of the community may contact the Lydenburg Police Station.