Return grieving mom's cellphone taken from fatal crash, family begs

The family of a six-year-old Durban boy killed in a horror crash on Sunday has made a plea for the return of his mother’s cellphone allegedly stolen from the scene on the N2 in Durban.

Two people died — including the boy — and others were injured in the multiple-vehicle accident on the N2 northbound at about 4pm on Sunday.

Rakhee Anthoo told TimesLIVE on Tuesday her cousin Karishma Singh’s phone had gone missing from the scene and the person who took it was posting WhatsApp statuses pretending to be her.

“She lost her son, Youvay. A person who was at the scene took her phone. My plea to this person is to have a heart and please contact me privately to return the phone. Her pictures and memories of our baby are on that phone,” she said.

“This is such a terrible and traumatic time for our family. Please, whoever you are, I beg you. We will pay you for the phone.”

Anthoo said her nephew turned six a week ago and had a party to celebrate. “He was the most bubbly and friendly little boy you ever met. He was such a delightful little boy. He's left such an imprint on our hearts.”

His 10-year-old sister was also involved in the crash.

“My cousin Karishma is also recovering from injuries but is devastated,” said Anthoo.

ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said his team arrived on the scene on Sunday to find five vehicles had collided before two lost control and overturned numerous times, ejecting their passengers, mostly children, on the busy freeway.

“Paramedics set up a triage system and immediately called for more ambulances, as well as advanced life support paramedics. About 10 patients sustained serious to critical injuries and were taken to hospital.”

The six-year-old boy who was taken to hospital went into cardiac arrest and died despite efforts by doctors and paramedics.

A second patient, a man believed to be in his 50s, who sustained major multiple injuries and also went into a state of cardiac arrest died at the scene.

He said police were investigating the accident.

TimesLIVE