POLOKWANE – A local motorcyclist is appealing for witnesses after a motorist in a white vehicle collided with him in a hit-and-run incident last Thursday (August 7).

The collision, which took place in Potgieter Avenue near the General Viljoen Street intersection, has left the victim, Gerhard Yendall, with a bruised right leg and damage to his motorcycle.

“I pulled away at the traffic light, and as I went from first gear to second gear, I saw this white vehicle coming towards me,” he told the Polokwane Review-Observer.

“I hooted, but it did not help as he kept coming. The next moment, he hit me. He was in the right lane, and I was in the left lane.”

Yendall’s motorcycle sustained a broken right-side mirror, a damaged mudguard, and a bent front brake lever.

Other motorists stopped to assist him and he has also received video footage of the incident.

South African law on hit-and-run incidents

According to South African law, specifically the National Road Traffic Act, motorists involved in a crash have a legal duty to stop and provide their personal details.

Drivers must also check for injuries and provide “reasonable assistance” to anyone injured in the incident.

Failing to stop after a crash is a serious offence that can result in a fine, imprisonment, or both, depending on the severity of the incident.

“A driver who fails to stop after an accident when required to do so by law is liable to be prosecuted and, if convicted, fined up to R36000, or sent to prison for up to nine years, or both. If you can prove that you did not stop because you were not aware of the accident, you may avoid prosecution. If not, the courts will presume that you were aware of the accident,” Arrive Alive explains.

Anyone with information can contact Yendell on 082 051 9802.