Bride in crash on way to church

2008-12-21 22:43

Nurene Jassiem

Durbanville - "It should actually have been me lying in hospital now. She doesn't deserve to be in so much pain."

These were the words of Cobus Mostert on Sunday afternoon at the Durbanville Medi-Clinic - a week after his bride, Sandra de Jongh, had been involved in an accident on the way to their wedding.

Last Saturday at 16:00 Sandra, 44, co-director of Prestige Academy in Bellville, was on her way to the AGS church in Bellville when the wedding car collided with another car on the corner of Vygeboom Street and Fairtrees Road in Durbanville.

Her daughter, Amelia, 18, was travelling with her in the Mercedes-Benz AMG when the accident happened. Amelia recalled how helpless she felt because she couldn't help her mother.

"I was scared my mom was dead, but I couldn't do anything for her, because I was trapped by my safety belt," a traumatised Amelia said.

Mostert, who was waiting for his bride at the pulpit, thought Sandra was playing a joke on him.

"We recently watched Runaway Bride and I thought she was being late on purpose as a joke.

"Then I saw someone calling my brother to go outside and phone calls about the crash started coming in. That's when I realised something was wrong."

Sandra's sister and business partner, Estelle Botha, announced the news to the wedding guests.

The bride was admitted to the intensive care unit at Durbanville Medi-Clinic about an hour after the accident.

She had broken an upper arm, seriously injured the other arm and broken her left leg in two places.

"It's a very difficult time for me. Sandra is more than just my sister. She has also been my business partner for the past 17 years," Botha said.

On Sunday she arrived at the hospital in tears when she heard that Sandra may have a blood clot in one lung.

"Earlier they were saying that Sandra would only be able to work again by 2010.

"I don't know how I'm going to manage without her next year. We know each other's secrets and share everything," Botha said.

Sandra has already had three operations and Mostert said there were still many challenges to be overcome.

- Die Burger