Johannesburg – A mangled bicycle lying in the bushes on the roadside bore testimony to the tragedy that befell a cyclist whose life was cut short on the N12.
The man, believed to be in his 50s, was riding his bicycle around 6.45pm when a motorist drove into him from behind.
On impact, the man was thrown off his bicycle, which landed in the bushes. The man ended up on the road.
The motorist did not stop to help the cyclist, but just sped off.
As the cyclist lay sprawled on the road, other approaching vehicles drove over him. None of them stopped.
By the time police and paramedics arrived on the scene, the cyclist was dismembered and spread all over the road.
While police officers were still milling about investigating the accident, an alleged drunk driver smashed into them.
This happened on Saturday evening in Fochville, west of Joburg.
ER24 spokesman Werner Vermaak said information they received from witnesses was that, after hitting the man, the first motorist continued driving and did not stop. Three other cars also drove over the man and continued driving.
It was only then that other motorists stopped. “Other motorists stopped after noticing what had happened, blocked and stopped other cars from driving over the man and then called the police.
“However, they had been unable to see the cars that had hit the man and drove over him,” Vermaak said.
He added that the man was already dead when they arrived on the scene.
“There was nothing we could do for him,” Vermaak said, adding that that portion of the road where the accident occurred is very dark as there are no street lights.
Constable Zikhona Sifuba of the Fochville police said although she was unable to confirm how many cars were involved in the accident, it was obvious that more than one car drove over the man.
Sifuba also said her colleagues rushed to the scene only for a car to smash into them while they were busy with investigations. The motorist crashed into traffic and SAPS vehicles, she added.
Vermaak confirmed that they attended the scene, an hour after they had attended to cyclist.
He said a police officer suffered possible back and neck injuries while the driver who caused the accident had minor injuries.
Sifuba said the motorist in the second crash was arrested and charged with drunken driving. They also opened a culpable homicide case regarding the dead cyclist, she added.
