Cindy Makhathini has shed light on what transpired when she crashed her car into a Sasol petrol station at the weekend.
Videos of the social media personality at the scene of the debacle went viral, with many speculating she could have been under the influence because she had just posted she was at a wedding.
Cindy said she had travelled a long distance with a friend and a toddler who had asked for snacks at the next stop, which was the garage.
“When we got to the garage, my friend asked me to zip her up. When I parked the car, I did not put my car into park. I had my foot on the brake. I don’t know what happened.
“I tried to zip her up. I don’t know when my foot left the brake to the accelerator. I don’t remember anything. I just remember her saying the car is moving. I think my car bounced,” she said.
Cindy said she is used to her car, an Omoda, having a built-in safety feature that prevents the car from moving if the seatbelt is not on.
“When I turned, trying to pull up my friend’s zip, she said the car was moving. I didn’t hear her properly and then she was screaming at me to tell me the car is moving. I panicked. That’s when everything just went dark.
“When I pressed my foot, I pushed the accelerator when I thought I was pushing the brake and the car crashed.”
Cindy refuted claims she was under the influence and expressed her gratitude to the garage owner, who showed her compassion after the incident.
“I was not worried about myself. I was worried about the people in the car and the people at the garage, thinking what if I hurt someone? I’m looking around and the car was surrounded by people. I was so traumatised. I was so scared. The people who work at the garage were scared.
“It was so traumatic. I’m so sorry, guys. I don’t wish it on anyone. I’m sorry for the people who saw the incident happen and for the owner of the garage. It was an honest mistake and the owner was so nice. He gave us water and made sure we were OK. He was talking to the police and I was cooperating with the police.
“If I was drunk, I was going to get arrested on the scene. I was not drunk. I did get breathalysed and I was not drunk. It was an honest mistake.”
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