Circumstances surrounding the N1 highway death of Pretoria man investigated

The family and friends of a 26-year-old man who died after suffering traumatic injuries in an apparent hit-and-run, involving multiple vehicles on the N1 highway in Waterkloof, said he died on the day of his job interview.

Rekord initially reported that a pedestrian was killed in a hit-and-run involving multiple vehicles on N1 highway, east of Pretoria, on Saturday night.

The deceased has been identified as Gerhard Myburgh, from Villieria in the Moot.

Police spokesperson Captain David Miller said the police were investigating a case of culpable homicide.

He said it was alleged that Myburgh had jumped out of a moving car before his death. These claims remain to be investigated.

‘’At this stage this is an allegation and it will form part of the investigation which will tell us what exactly happened on that day,” he said.

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Miller said the driver of the vehicle, which Myburgh allegedly jumped out of, was interviewed by the police.

‘’At this point, it is not known exactly how many cars were involved, and that will form part of our investigation. We are urging anybody who has information or witnessed the incident to contact the investigating officer (Sergeant Mudzanani on 079 320 8997).”

Rekord contacted Myburgh’s parents; both were going through a hard time after hearing the news of their son’s passing.

An emotional father, Andries Myburgh, who had to identify his son’s body at the morgue on Tuesday said, “I served in the army for some time but I have never seen something like that ever in my life.”

Andries said he identified his son by tattoos of initials of his family members on his arm.

“When I saw him, I could not recognise him and had to ask them to photograph his arm with his tattoos. He was badly hurt because it was not just one car that ran over my son but multiple.”

Andries said when Gerhard died, he was a passenger in his friend’s vehicle. The two friends shared a flat with a family in Roseville.

The father said he spoke to Gerhard’s friend who last saw him alive on Monday.

“He told us that he and Gerhard had an argument in the car, and all of a sudden Gerhard took his stuff out of his pockets, put them in the car and the next moment, he opened the door and Gerhard jumped out of the car. He told me he tried to stop him but couldn’t.”

Andries said the friend told them after Gerhard allegedly jumped out of the car, he continued to drive on due to other cars hooting behind him.

“He told me that he turned around to see what happened and then said ‘then it was all over’ and afterwards he continued driving.

“I did not get a call that night from him about what had happened and I only heard of the news more than 24 hours after my son was laying in the fridge, cold.”

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Andries said he had a difficult time to grasp the details around Gerhard’s passing.

“The friend has my number, he had Gerhard’s two phones and he did not call me to tell me about my son’s passing. That for me raises a lot of questions, when I ask him he told me he was in shock and could not eat for two days.”

Andries heard of Gerhard’s passing on Monday morning via the landlord of the place where Gerhard used to stay.

He said he had many unanswered questions regarding his son’s passing and hoped the investigation could help.

“According to the friend, he was driving on the left lane when Gerhard jumped out but Gerhard was found on the right lane. It is quite a distance because there are about four lanes, maybe as the multiple cars stuck him that’s how he got there, we do not know.”

Although hit by several vehicles no one stopped for Gerhard. Andries said this was painful to accept.

“If you hit flesh and bones, your car definitely goes through a bump and that should at least alert the driver that they hit something.

“It is hurtful that no one stopped for him, not the first car that hit him or others that followed.”

The family urged anyone who has any information about the incident to contact police.

“You cannot predict what is going to happen five meters in front of you or if a person would appear in front of you. I am not angry at the motorists, I just want to know what happened. Any bit of information can help us, especially the first car/s that might have seen him standing or rolling,” Andries said.

“I am not doubting the friend or blaming him when he tells us Gerhard jumped out of the car but what I do not understand is him having my number and still not telling me – that is unspeakable and inhumane.

“My son was cold in the fridge and I knew nothing about it.”

While the friend, who last saw Gerhard, said he committed suicide, Andries said on the Saturday his son was happy and there was nothing he believed could push him towards ending his life.

“My son was very happy that day because he got a job and his friend was showing him all the places that the company works with. His last words to me were “Daddy ek het die werk gekry [Daddy I got the job]”.

The grieving family said coming to terms with their son’s death was hard.

“It is a hole in our hearts that can never be filled, you can try to live your life but you can never fill that place.”

Andries described his son as a kind hearted person and helpful to people around him to a point that even people referred to Gerhard as their own son.

“Growing up he was a moody teenager like any other child but he was such a handy person and helped most of our neighbors. He was a very kind young man.”

Friend and landlord Belinda Kriek said on Saturday evening, the friend that last saw Gerhard alive, arrived at her house and told her husband that Gerhard committed suicide.

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“He told us that he and Gerhard had an argument in the car, and all of a sudden Gerhard took his stuff out of his pockets, put them in the car and the next moment, he opened the door. He [the friend] said he then slowed down, and Gerhard jumped out of the car before he was hit by another car.

“We kept on asking him ‘why did you not stop the car after Gerhard jumped’ that is the same question the police were asking him. But he could not answer us, he was in shock.”

Kriek said her husband took Gerhard’s friend to the police on Sunday evening to report the matter.

“The police asked for the friend to bring the car they were traveling in for further investigations.”

Kriek said on the day of Gerhard’s death, he went to a job interview in the morning at a place where his friend used to work, as the friend got a new job. Gerhard also worked part-time at the place where he had an interview.

“He was so happy that day. He was very excited that finally he got something after a long time being without of a job. He told me that he would come back and he never did. He tragically died.”

She said the news of Gerhard’s death was hard to explain to his parents.

An emotional Kriek, said on Monday morning she called Gerhard’s parents to inform them of his passing.

“His mother was not okay when I told her what happened to her son. I, too, have a 24-year-old son and cannot imagine what his parents are feeling losing a 26-year-old in such a sad manner.”

Kriek said Gerhard was a kind, helpful, and always smiling.

“He was such a helpful person. You could ask him anything, he was always willing to help. He was always smiling, it did not matter how many problems he had in his life. He was a very nice person and it is hurtful what happened to him.”

Gerhard will be buried on December 29, at the NG church in Villieria.

The person who was driving with Gerhard Myburgh in the car he allegedly jumped out of is known to Rekord. Attempts to get his side of the story were unsuccessful.

Do you have more information about the story?

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