Family Encounters Medical Tragedy Due To Pothole In KZN. A family in Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal was racing against time as they were transporting their severely ill mother to hospital in the city.
A family in Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal was racing against time as they were transporting their severely ill mother to hospital in the city. However, they were stopped when the car they were driving in hit a huge pothole, thereby puncturing two of their tires. When the man, Jabu hlongwane, was trying to get assistance as he couldn’t drive the car his mother-in-law passed away at the place.
The mother reportedly had a serious stomach problem. The grieving man told ‘The Witness’ on Wednesday that his 13-year-old son and his wife were with him too when the event occurred. He says the family thinks that if they had gotten to the hospital on time his mother-in-law would be alive today. Jabu Hlongwane says, “Who knows what could have happened had we arrived at the hospital on time? My family are struggling to deal with this situation.”
The man says the mother got ill on Sunday, however, they didn’t think that it was serious. But, on day Sunday her health decreased so they then rushed her to the hospital. “We thought she was just suffering from a mild stomach ache. We didn’t think it was life threatening. We noticed that she seemed dehydrated and decided to rush her to the hospital.” While he was driving in darkness at the Old Howick Road curve he then hit a pothole that was in the road. The pothole damaged both his front and rear tires on his left.
“I hit the pothole and came to a dead stop. Luckily, a patrolling security vehicle stopped to ask what had happened. The security guards told us that we were the second vehicle on the night to hit the pothole.” The security vehicle called emergency services, which arrived in a short while. “It was already too late. They tried to resuscitate her, but she was gone. I have never left so helpless in my life. It’s painful that she died just minutes away from receiving the help she needed. She was so close to the hospital. My son has been left traumatised by the incident. He is inconsolable,” says Jabu Hlongwane.
Julie Mahomes, a community member of Wembley, says she had warned the municipality a number of times about the road’s status. “I shudder to think how many people have their vehicles damaged because of this road. This area has horrible mist and it is really dangerous, especially when it is raining. The municipal workers just come here and throw rubble in the hole and it gets washed away when it rains. It is ridiculous,” says Julie Mahomes.
by Alexandra Ramaite
