Many who had visited the Western Cape for the long weekend are going back to their respective provinces and towns with loads of great pictures that will serve as a reminder of their time in the Cape but this is not the case for a North West couple.
The North West couple, Charlene Drotsky and Corné Viljoen are instead counting medical expenses while Charlene is recovering from her injuries after a hit and run incident left her with serious injuries including a broken pelvis and a number of broken ribs.
According to News24, Charlene, 34-years-old, was hit by the driver of a bakkie who had given her and friends a lift after a night out while the couple was on holiday in Malmesbury.
“When I arrived at my destination, I tried to exit the vehicle. The driver reversed unexpectedly, trapping my left leg under the front wheel of the vehicle. Instead of stopping to help me as I cried out in pain, the driver panicked as he tried to drive off,” said Charlene.
She said the man driving the bakkie, drove over her with the front and back wheels going over her waist leaving her in excruciating pain.
Charlene’s fiancé Viljoen, 39-years-old, called emergency services following the incident which turned the couple’s Cape Town holiday into a nightmare. He said he saw her fiancé being pulled in under the bakkie and dragged into the road.
“I can still hear her screaming for help as I tried my best to fight the driver to switch off his bakkie, but I was too weak. I managed to run a few metres away from the vehicle towards her as I thought he drove over her head. I remember I started shouting and screaming at God, asking him to please not let my fiancé die,” he said.
Viljoen reckons his fiancé is a strong woman, however, she still has a long road to physically, mentally and emotionally recover as she was being treated for her injuries at the Tygerberg Hospital.
Charlene’s sister Marcelle said that the broken pelvis has resulted in Charlene’s loss of her left leg function and the family was raising money so that Charlene’s two young sons can come see their mother to boost her spirits.
“The boys haven’t seen their mom since she left them behind for her holiday. We simply don’t have the money to fly them over to visit her. At this stage, we are trying our best to raise some money to bring the boys to see their mom,” Marcelle added.
She added that they hope the help of the public would help ease the financial strain faced by the family.
The family is trying to raise R75 000 for Charlene’s surgery and medical expenses.
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Picture: Unsplash