A SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD pedestrian was hit by a car and crashed into the windscreen before landing underneath another car. Miraculously, he survived the accident, but was left with a 10cm scar on his face, dashing his dreams to one day become a model. The accident occurred on Kingsway Road in front of Victory Kwikspar, Warner Beach, on May 2.

While his mother is thankful her son was able to walk away from the collision, Nathan Fourie, is devastated at the loss of his dreams.

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He explained that he was lucid during the ordeal, and remembers the exact time it happened, the feeling of lying in a pool of his own blood, wondering where it was all coming from.

He recalled the moments leading to the traumatic experience, “I was walking home after a long day at the beach and as I approached a local strip mall, I stopped on the sidewalk because a bakkie was there getting ready to turn. I looked down at my phone and it was 17:16. The next moment, I heard a car hooter going off and saw a blue Volkswagen Polo approaching. As I turned to glance at the bakkie, the vehicle swerved towards me trying to turn into the parking lot. It was around 1.5m away from hitting me and in a panic, I jumped up hoping to minimise the impact. The car hit the lower half of my body and I went into the windscreen before the impact sent me into the metal wire fence behind me, which was left bent out of shape.”

He spent the night at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital, where shards of glass and stones had to be carefully removed from the deep laceration on his face. Following an X-ray, doctors found that he has no broken bones.

He said, “I am unable to stand up straight and still need to go to see a chiropractor to know whether my spine was affected. I get severe cramps simply lifting up my arms. According to the doctor, I have deep tissue damage. I struggle to walk now and I am worried about permanent muscle damage in my calf. For the large laceration on my face, I have three layers of stitches to minimise the scarring.”

A week after the accident, Nathan said that he struggles to remember the past two months and likens it to having memory loss. Nathan struggles to grapple with his new normal, saying, “I can barely sleep at night. Every time I try, the whole scene just plays through my head. I think the trauma and the sleepless nights are one of the hardest parts about it all, but I’m going to have a massive scar on my head for the rest of my life.”

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Inspired by his mother, who used to be a model in her youth, Nathan dreamed of becoming a model since he was 10 years old and planned to go to a modeling school in Berea.
Nathan is homeschooled, but prior to the accident, was very active in the community. He has a large group of friends he would skateboard and spend time on the beach with. He enjoyed playing rugby and surfing. He has two siblings aged eight and 10.

His mother Geraldine van Deventer said, “My heart stopped when I was informed around an hour after the accident. It is the worst call to get as a parent. How many more people are going to get hurt or even killed every day – there are no speed bumps built there? It is as though Nathan has a dark cloud over him, he is not the same. He is depressed and not nearly as active as he once was.“

Van Deventer thanks God that her son is still alive. “It’s as though he has a guardian angel watching over him. I am deeply grateful to the community and people who helped out after the accident. It gives me hope for humanity that people still care about each other.”

Nathan still needs to undergo a CT scan to know the extent of his injuries. The family is appealing for assistance to pay for the procedure. If you would like to assist, contact Geraldine van Deventer on 074 876 8386.

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