A volunteer setting up a water stand for the Comrades ultra-marathon is in the intensive care unit at St Anne’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg with multiple injuries after being run over by a bakkie on Sunday June 10.
Johan Doubell‚ 51‚ a production manager for a chemical company‚ from Cleland in Pietermaritzburg‚ had a knee replacement a year ago on his right leg‚ and that knee is now broken in five places‚ said his fiancée Erika Kapp. "His left leg is fully broken... My fiancée also has broken ribs‚ a cracked skull‚ his cheek is broken and his lung collapsed."
Kapp is endorsing a fundraising campaign to help to pay his medical costs‚ which was launched on crowdfunding platform‚ BackaBuddy‚ by community organisation Porky’s People. They have a target of R100‚000. The campaign went live on June 12 and has so far raised R8‚645 with contributions from 19 donors.
Doubell and Kapp were setting up their water stand at the bottom of Polly Shorts at Ashburton‚ at around 4am on Sunday‚ she said‚ when a motorist drove into the stand‚ injuring Doubell and two other people‚ who fortunately sustained lesser injuries.
“A light blue bakkie came speeding up and hit two women before it swerved into him. It ran over him‚ reversed and then sped off‚” Kapp said.
The driver has since voluntarily handed himself over to the Pietermaritzburg SAPS Accident Unit.
“The man faces several (possible) charges including hit-and-run‚ failure to stop after an accident‚ negligent driving and failure to ascertain injuries after an accident‚” BackaBuddy quoted provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane as saying.
The campaign on BackaBuddy can be viewed here.
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