Tuckshop crash leaves innocent customers hospitalised – driver missing in action

The day of September 16 took a catastrophic turn after an alleged drunken driver crashed into a local tuckshop on Enoch Sontonga Street in the Matholesville informal settlement. The incident happened at around 20:00.

Sisamani Tuckshop, where many residents stock up on their daily household needs has been at the centre where many children were badly injured following a reckless car crash that saw them hospitalised, leaving parents frustrated with the costs of daily hospital commutes.

It is alleged that the driver, who also sustained injuries, called his friend to move the badly damaged car and has not been seen around the community ever since, leaving the victim’s parents questioning his disappearance and demanding accountability.

Vuyiswa Fanteso, mother of 19-year-old Qamani Fanteso, said that her son had informed her about the accident to which she had rushed as she knew her daughter and one-year-old grandchild to be at the tuckshop.

Qamani suffered an injury to her left leg and had to undergo surgery at Helen Joseph Hospital as her knee was badly damaged.

Another parent, Linet Ndlovu, mother of 13-year-old Sandile Ndlovu said she was in the house when she heard the commotion as the family lives a few metres from the shop as she had sent her son to the tuckshop that evening.

Upon arrival, she said she discovered her son covered in rubble and explained that she could see the front of the car – the bumper and windscreen were badly damaged.

Sandile suffered trauma to the stomach, sustained head injuries from the fallen debris and fractured his leg. He underwent an operation at Leratong Hospital.

“I visited the shop to enquire about the driver, and they told me the driver was not the owner of the vehicle, but today [September 21] after fighting them to come speak to us, they said the owner [of the vehicle] was responsible for the accident.

“When we asked them where the driver was, they told us they did not know, but we know from the accident scene there was a guy who took that man. We have the number plate of the car that took him. I asked him [driver’s family member] who would open the case to which he responded, ‘the owner of the shop’,” Ndlovu explained.

Aletta Thlolatlung, mother of Kutlwano Tlholatlung said what happened is unfortunate but it does not take away from the fact that the driver or owner of the vehicle should be held accountable.

“At the shop, Sandile was buying biscuits while I was waiting. There was a lady with a child and another guy. A car appeared from around the bend and drove into the shop. Sandile was bloodied and dizzy. I checked on him and saw blood from his mouth,” the 15-year-old Kutlwano recalled.

Kutlwano broke both of his legs and is also recovering at Leratong Hospital.

Families had to pay their neighbours to transport their wounded children to the hospital due to the delayed response of the ambulance.

The shop owner did not want to comment on the matter and has cited to the victim’s family it is ‘not his problem’.

A case has since been opened at Roodepoort Police Station.

The shop is being restored while the victim’s families remain without answers and must resort to loaning money for daily hospital commutes to tend to their loved ones.

The Roodepoort Record asked the family of the driver for comment on September 22, but at the time of going to print, none had been received.