WATCH: A community brought to a standstill to say farewell
A portion of the road was blocked off at each important point on the route they followed for a car to spin in.
On the morning of 30 October, Roodepoort was shaken by the loss of one of their most cherished community members. First Help tow-truck driver, Shane Williams, was shot and killed about 100 metres from 14th Avenue where he used to park his truck everyday waiting to respond to a call.
He was allegedly shot by the robbers who had been fleeing from the scene of a cash-in-transit heist they had carried out on Ontdekkers Road a few minutes before.
Also read: Forced to say goodbye much too soon
The ways that Shane has been memorialised, as well as the anger and sadness expressed by the community because of his death, are testaments to the overwhelming effect he had on everyone who knew him. Shane was described as a goofy, fun-loving man, who always made people laugh, and who cared about everyone.
The day after his murder, Shane’s heartbroken family made plans to go to the place where he was killed and put up a small memorial in his honour. On their way there, they stopped at the Total Garage on Gordon Road to wait for the rest of their family members when the drivers of three passing tow trucks noticed them and asked where they were going. Thanks to the power of two-way radios, within less than 30 minutes, more than 50 tow trucks stopped where Shane was murdered to pay their respects and share their most special memories of the man they all cherished so much.
His death was mourned by so many, especially his wife Annelin and his two children, Shanique, 6, and Shane, 10. The family man, who always smiled and never had a bad word to say towards anyone, was laid to rest on Friday, 6 November after a funeral service and memorial that were perfect representations of the impact he had on the Roodepoort community.
Watch here:
Hundreds of people gathered at Shane’s regular church in Newlands for the funeral service. For more than three blocks the roads were filled to the brim with cars and people who came together to pay their respects. The memorial saw 80 tow trucks, various ambulances, and more than 200 family and friends drive from the church to his parking spot on 14th Avenue. They then drove to the place where he was murdered and then past his home in Florida before the convoy was led to West Park Cemetery for the burial service.
The tow-truck community has a beautiful tradition of sending off a colleague who has passed away by spinning cars. “We spend our lives revving our engines and speeding down the road, so the tradition is to have a send-off in speed,” said Amanda Joubert, a close friend of the Williams family.
For Shane, a portion of the road was blocked off at each important point on the route they followed for a car to spin in. The revving of the engine and screeching of the tyres brought on powerful emotions for everyone who was witness to it, warranting loud cheers and tearful cries in honour of Shane. While only close friends and immediate family entered the cemetery for the burial, other people who attended parked their cars and waited outside to show their support.
As the convoy passed through Roodepoort, passers-by cheered and motorist blared their hooters, whistled out their car windows and shouted their words of love to Shane. The emotional day and beautiful ceremony were the perfect way for his loved ones to say goodbye.
