Africa-Press – South-Africa. The grandfather of a 9-year-old boy injured after an e-hailing cab driver rammed into the children he was standing with on a pavement in Elephant Street on Saturday, says it’s a miracle the boy escaped relatively unscathed.
After seeing footage of the crash, Alan Britz, said he could not believe his grandson, Leonard Smith, managed to escape with limited injuries.
Leonard, a Grade 3 pupil at the Little Wood Primary School in Eastridge, was part of a group of children who had gathered outside on the pavement when the accident occurred.
Security camera footage of the incident has since gone viral.
In the footage a black car is seen speeding down a street before knocking the group of children over as the driver enters a turn, without stopping or slowing down.
Britz said the entire ordeal shocked his family to the core.
“My grandson was doing okay following the incident,” he told News 24.
Britz said his son called him to inform him about the crash.
“I contacted the neighbourhood watch to find out what had transpired,” Britz said.
He said when he got there the neighbourhood watch had their hands full controlling the angry crowd.
After watching the viral footage of the incident, Britz said it was a miracle Leonard did not sustain far more serious injuries.
Britz added:
He said while it is still unclear what sparked the accident, for him the most important thing was that his grandson walked away with only injuries to his leg.
“My grandchild is okay. He was released on Sunday morning, that is all that matters. He was given a wheelchair and we went back to the hospital so they could teach him how to use the wheelchair,” said Britz.
Leonard will have to miss school, but his grandfather was quick to add, missing some school was far better than losing a child.
Britz said the school had promised to make a plan to accommodate Leonard.
The devastated community of Vyfhoek are still coming to terms with losing 5 kids after a truck ploughed into a school
Police said the driver has been arrested.
“The driver, 27, was arrested on Saturday at around 18:10 in Mitchells Plain on a charge of reckless and or negligent driving following the incident in Elephant Street, Eastridge,” said Western Cape police spokesperson Colonel Andre Traut.
Outraged Eastridge residents have demanded action and no bail for the accused. Mitchells Plain community policing forum spokesperson Norman Jantjes said the community was outraged and in shock over the incident.
“The incident was shocking. The presence of law enforcement agencies along with the neighbourhood watch managed to help contain the situation.”
He said things could have easily have gone completely another way and gotten out of hand because the crowd was upset.”
“Luckily, we were able to restrain the community, because emotions can run quite high when something like this happens and we could have had a different outcome,” Jantjes said.
He said the injured children suffered fractured limbs and it was a miracle that there were no fatalities.
“The one boy had two leg fractures. He was discharged from hospital yesterday. They had to do a scan on the girl this morning and hopefully she will be discharged today as well. Luckily it doesn’t look like they will have any permanent damage,” said Jantjes.
The suspect is expected to make his first court appearance in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
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