Businessman Carl Snyman, 56, found himself at the mercy of fate while en route to his weekly Northwood bowling club in Durban North this week. Just half a kilometre from his home, Snyman was involved in a life-threatening incident that has left him contemplating his future as a scooter rider.
The accident occurred at the end of a bustling school day outside Northwood Boys School, where a line of cars queued as parents picked up their children.
Snyman was navigating his familiar route when a driver, misled by another motorist, inadvertently collided with him as he manoeuvred his scooter along the pavement
“In my opinion, it wasn’t her fault at all,” said Snyman. “One of the other drivers in the traffic jam had let her through, but the mistake she made was telling her to go through without checking her rear.”
He recounted the moment when the driver's car struck him, sending him tumbling to the ground and into the gutter, albeit fortunate to be wearing his helmet.
The aftermath was swift as paramedics from KZN VIP rushed to his aid, stabilising him before transporting him to Gateway Hospital. A barrage of tests revealed four broken ribs, two bruised shoulders, and a bruised leg, resulting in an overnight stay in the ICU.
“As it stands, everyone who heard and saw what happened said I’m lucky to even be alive,” said Snyman.
Despite the severity of the incident, Snyman remains keen on absolving the driver of any blame.
“She was very worried, constantly on the phone with my wife to check how I was doing. She felt terrible; the last thing she expected was to see me coming down with my little scooter,” he said.
This sentiment encapsulates a rare grace amidst the chaos that is often absent in such dire situations.
However, the collision has prompted Snyman to assess his commuting habits. With plans to avoid the main roads altogether, his aim was to explore different routes on Wednesdays, saying, “The scooter is completely trashed, and we don’t plan on replacing it. Now, I will use the back roads,” he said.
“There are a lot of us who drive scooters, especially at the bowling club,” said Snyman, “But we’ve been talking about whether it is really worth it. There’s just so much traffic on the roads, and it takes one accident like this to make it worse.”
As Snyman embarks on his recovery, estimated at around six weeks, he carries with him the lessons learned from this harrowing experience. With a grateful heart for his continued life, he urges fellow riders to exercise caution in an era marred by congested roads and unforeseen dangers.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) was yet to comment on the incident at the time of print.