A QUICK-THINKING witness and an appeal on social media helped Brighton Beach SAPS officers track down a driver who sped away after knocking over a man on his motorbike.
On Saturday, 7 February at about about 6.15pm Marius Booysen was riding his Harley Davidson along Marine Drive near Crossways when he was hit from behind by a blue Hyundai Getz.
Witnesses said they saw the motorist driving close behind the bike before the accident. Booysen was caught beneath his motorbike and oncoming traffic narrowly avoided his head as he slammed into the road.
A bystander chased after the Getz as it sped away, but was unable to stop the driver. They did, however, make note of the licence plate number and handed this over to police.
Along with cuts and scrapes, Booysen suffered a torn calf muscle and a punctured hamstring. “I know accidents are not planned, but when a person drives away in the fashion that this person did, it infuriates you. My 16-year-old son came to the accident scene and I will never forget the shock on his face when he saw me lying in the road. I will personally ensure that this person faces the full might of the law,” he said.
Information about the accident was circulated through social media and people stepped up to help police track down the driver, who was arrested on Wednesday, 11 February. He was charged with reckless and negligent driving, driving a motor vehicle without a valid driver’s license and failing to stop after a motor vehicle collision.
As a private investigator, Booysen was invested in looking into his own collision and was impressed with the work of local police. “There are still many good policemen in the South African Police Service. I found one of those in Warrant Officer Joanne Baldeo. She really went the extra mile,” said Booysen.
The 21-year-old driver appeared in the Durban Regional Court on Sunday, 15 February and was released on R500 bail. He will reappear on 16 March.
“Thank-you to all the residents on the Bluff who contributed in hunting down the driver. Special thanks go to Junicka Klopper, who was very helpful on the scene and who helped to circulate information on social networks. I encourage Bluff people to join the social networks applicable to the area,” said Booysen.
