A campaign raised more than R330 000 to help pay her medical costs.
Dezirée du Plessis, a 45-year-old runner who was hit by a taxi during the Soweto Marathon last month, has died in hospital.
Du Plessis, a mother of two from Pretoria, was struck by a vehicle during the annual race on 29 November and underwent emergency surgery due to intracranial haemorrhage (bleeding on the brain).
She was unable to recover, however, and her sister Marijke Miller confirmed on Friday morning that she had succumbed to her injuries.
“Dezzi breathed her last breath this morning and completed her race. She fought to the end but went soft and peaceful,” Miller posted on Facebook.
Fundraising support
With Du Plessis having been in critical condition, a BackaBuddy campaign had been launched, raising over R330 000 to help pay her medical costs.
A fun run had also been organised at the Run-A-Way Sport store in Pretoria on Saturday to raise funds for Du Plessis and though she passed away a day before it was to take place, the run is still expected to be held in her memory.
The driver of the taxi that hit Du Plessis, who was suspected to have been driving under the influence of alcohol and ignored metro police officers who denied him access to the Soweto Marathon route, was arrested for reckless and negligent driving.
