Ajay and Neera Sewbran are lucky to be alive after a horror crash. The couple survived a head-on collision
caused by an allegedly drunk driver in a state vehicle. They were travelling back from Pietermaritzburg on the
evening of June 29 with three passengers, the youngest being 12.

As they drove over Alice Bridge at about 21:30, the lights of an oncoming vehicle signalled that danger lay ahead.

“There was a van coming straight for us! It was travelling at over 100km/h and the driver could not take the bend at the bridge. The vehicle slammed into our car, with a massive impact on the driver’s side,” explained Neera.

The car the Sewbrans were travelling in careened into the metal roadside barrier with a sickening crash. Neera, who was the only passenger not seriously injured, immediately surveyed the scene and it was clear that her family members were severely hurt.

“Ajay had passed out, with the dashboard on his lap. His feet were trapped underneath. I screamed at him to let me know if he was okay. There was smoke coming out of the engine. I loosened my seat belt and crawled out
of the car. When I checked on the passengers, I found that my brother Rakesh had been thrown from the car and bones in his leg were protruding; he was screaming in pain,” related Neera.

A female passenger sustained severe head wounds, including a fractured skull. Fortunately, the 12-year-old was spared any serious injuries. After surveying the chaotic scene, Neera immediately reached for her cellphone and
called her son for help. “While I was looking for my phone, the driver of the state vehicle approached me
and put his arms around me, saying ‘don’t phone anyone, calm down’. He was reeking of alcohol and I pushed him away and called my son.”

As help began to arrive in the form of family, paramedics and police, the injured were taken to hospitals in Estcourt and later in Ladysmith as well. However, medical treatment is ongoing and costly, and emotional trauma haunts the Sewbrans and the passengers every day. Rakesh, who was a passenger in the backseat of the car,
underwent surgery for a broken leg; a female passenger sustained severe trauma to her face and head; and Ajay
received the news that the crash had impacted on his kidneys and he would need to undergo medical treatment costing substantial amounts of money.

For a family without medical aid or a hospital plan, the future is daunting as they contemplate their own physical
and emotional healing, as well as dealing with the financial costs associated with medical treatment.
Paying for a crash that was not their fault is also cause for concern among the family, who say that the lack of concern or a follow-up from the Department of Transport and the SAPS has spurred them on to seek justice.

The family is perturbed by the fact that the Department of Transport has not contacted them to follow up. Neither has the investigating officer called to notify them of the charges filed against the allegedly drunk
driver or the matter appearing before court. “We have had no news, so what is going on? Why is
everything so quiet? If the tables were turned, my brother would not be lying in a bed; we would be in a jail cell. Does the driver not have any remorse? How is a person allowed to drive a state vehicle while drunk?”

The Department of Transport was contacted for comment on the matter, but spokesperson Kwanele Ncalane had not responded to a media enquiry at the time of publishing.

SAPS spokesperson Warrant Officer Basheer Khan confirmed that a case has been opened and is being investigated. “Estcourt detectives are investigating a case of drunken driving. The accused (28) has since appeared in the Estcourt Magistrate’s Court,” he said.

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