Poorly maintained road caused mom’s near-fatal crash

Jillian-Joan van der Merwe with her daughters Jodi, left, and Kerry-Leigh at their home in Bloemfontein. The single mom was left paralysed after a horrific car crash caused by a poorly maintained Free State road.

Image: Supplied Jillian-Joan van der Merwe with her daughters Jodi, left, and Kerry-Leigh at their home in Bloemfontein. The single mom was left paralysed after a horrific car crash caused by a poorly maintained Free State road.

When Jillian-Joan van der Merwe made a quick stop after a day of work to buy koeksisters for her daughters from their favourite roadside stall, she set in motion a string of events that would leave her paralysed.

Now, a decade after the accident the Bloemfontein High Court ruled that the Free State government was liable for her R7m damages claim owing to its parlous maintenance of the road which ultimately caused her accident.

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