Bystander tells of Beyers Naudé bike accident
Ex-police reservist Neil van Wyk always stops — and was first to assist a biker in critical condition on Beyers Naudé Drive.
What is most important to remember, especially after a bad motorcycle accident, is to keep the patient still.
This is the advice of Roodepoorter Neil van Wyk, 38, who witnessed and was first to assist an injured biker at an accident scene on Beyers Naudé Drive in Fairlands last week. The Record earlier reported the man sustained serious injuries to his lower body, having fractured his femur bone and pelvis when he landed after flying through the air. His being still was critically important, the promoter and ex-police reservist told the Record.
“I regularly stop at accident scenes; I have a lot of friends in EMS and picked up a lot about how to handle an injured person from them over the years,” he said.
Van Wyk and his friend Marius Dippenaar were heading back from Brightwater Commons to his home in Roodepoort North, when he stopped at the intersection of Monkor Road and Beyers Naudé Road and witnessed the collision. According to his account of events, an Audi swerved in front of the motorcycle, which it collided with, causing the biker to become airborne and land at least 50 metres away from his damaged motorcycle.
“I heard this bang,” Van Wyk said, “and cannot repeat the words I uttered when I realised what just happened to the biker”.
He immediately stopped his vehicle and dreaded what he might see when he exited it.
“My friend and I approached the man, luckily he was lucid, and explained to him that he needs to lay still,” he said.
The first response vehicle arrived around five minutes after they stopped, Van Wyk said, and EMS vehicles stopped soon after. One of the medics took the biker’s phone and contacted his sister, who he was on his way to meet at Cresta Mall for coffee. They stuck around until the third EMS vehicle arrived to the scene. He gave his details to the biker’s sister but said unfortunately, he hasn’t had an update about the man’s condition since.
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