The scene of the accident where a speeding taxi driver hit a 13-year-old boy and afterwards attempted to flee. Picture: supplied
A week after being hit by a taxi, that was speeding in the Rea Vaya bus lane in Coronationville, Johannesburg, a 13-year-old boy is still fighting for his life in hospital.
Ethan Tyrone Sass was rushed to the Helen Joseph Hospital and later transferred to the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital’s paediatric intensive care unit.
His lungs had collapsed, his facial bones were fractured and he suffered a massive brain injury.
The accident happened last week Wednesday, when Ethan was crossing the Fuel Road in Coronationville after collecting water from the water truck. While walking across the road, a taxi speeding in the Rea Vaya lane hit him.
The reckless driver attempted to speed off but was stopped by community members.
Fabian Sass, the father of the boy, heard the commotion and ran to the scene where he was met by the horrid sight of his son lying on the road with blood oozing out of his face.
“I saw my son laying there, blood coming out of his eyes, nose, mouth and ears. I immediately rushed and got my car, I went back and put a neck brace on him. As soon as I put it on, I had to make a decision as a father because I could see that he was not breathing properly,” said Sass.
The taxi driver was found to be driving with an expired licence disc. He was taken to the Sophiatown Police Station by two community members. The police, however, let him go.
When Sass went to the police station, he was told a case of reckless and negligent driving was opened.
“The police also said they cannot arrest the driver as it is reckless and negligent driving and once the case is investigated they will hand it to the prosecutor. So the driver is still driving the same taxi with the expired licence disc and expired operator disc,” added Fabian.
Speaking to The Citizen, the police’s Gauteng provincial spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Sello said in cases of negligent driving, the driver will not be arrested unless they are drunk or if there are serious injuries. This is despite Ethan lying in a bed in the hospital’s ICU.
“With reckless and negligent driving, the docket will be investigated and brought before court,” said Sello.
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Despite all of this, the Helen Joseph Hospital refused to fill in the J88 form. This form is completed by a doctor and submitted as written evidence of the injuries a patient has suffered. It may be used in a criminal matter.
Sass was on Tuesday told by an employee at the Helen Joseph Hospital’s motor vehicle accident section that the doctors were fully booked and too busy to complete the J88 form. He was also told the doctors are going on leave on December so he can only be helped after the 10 January 2023.
It was only after The Citizen contacted Helen Joseph Hospital that Fabian returned to the hospital on Wednesday and was assisted. He was told to come back on Friday and a doctor will complete the J88 form.
Dr Relebohile Ncha, the CEO of Helen Joseph Hospital, denied that the family was denied services.
“We can confirm that the patient did present at the hospital, however we would like to dismiss claims that they were denied services. It was explained to the patient’s next of kin that due to internal administrative processes only a certain number of patients can be seen by appointment daily for the completion of the forms and due to the backlogs, the available dates may extend to at the latest January 2023,” said Ncha.
“The completion of a J88 form is solely to open a case with the South African Police Services and has no impact on the treatment of a patient.”
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