'Are my kids okay?'

2009-11-10 22:42

Marietie Louw-Carstens

Johannesburg - "Are my kids okay?"

These were the last words of Renske Meintjes, 34, spoken to emergency service personnel after she and her family had been involved in a car accident. She collapsed and died shortly afterwards.

Her husband, 37-year-old Ringo Meintjes, was also killed in the accident which took place on Sunday afternoon on the N1 highway about 10km outside Mookgophong.

The couple and their daughters, Calista, 10, Chirene, 9, and 22-month-old Cresentia, had been on their way home to Wonderboom South after having spent the weekend visiting Renske's parents in Mooketsi, near Tzaneen.

Calista and Cresentia were severely injured, and have not yet been told about the death of their parents.

"The children are in hospital, they're hurt, and they don't even know their mom and dad are dead yet. How are we going to explain it to them?" said the girls' uncle, a visibly emotional Pikkie Meintjes, on Tuesday.

Speeding and swerving motorist

According to police spokesperson George Ledwaba, a motorist also driving in a southern direction on the N1 had attempted to overtake several vehicles in the fast lane, crossing the barrier line.

He had been speeding and suddenly swerved back when a car approached from the front. It was then that he crashed into the Meintjies family's Toyota Avanza. Their car overturned, spun, and came to a stop several metres further in the veld.

The couple and their daughters were flung from the spinning car. Chirene told her uncle that she'd been sleeping and woke up while "the car was spinning and falling".

Her gravely injured mother tried to stand up after she fell out of the car, and asked if her children were "okay".

'Beer bottles in speeding driver's car'

Paramedics tried to stabilise both her and her husband, but they died at the scene. Both had sustained critical head injuries.

The other vehicle also spun off the road and landed in a ditch. Four of the occupants sustained light injuries.

Meintjes said bystanders had seen beer bottles falling from the vehicle of the driver who had apparently caused the accident.

A passing motorist pulled over and stayed at Calista's side.

"He says he saw a 'doll' lying in the veld. When he went to fetch it to give to Calista to comfort her, he saw it was actually the baby, Cresentia, lying in the veld."

Chirene's knee was injured in the accident. She has already been discharged from hospital.

At present Calista and Cresentia are still attached to ventilators in the Unitas hospital in Centurion.

'The saddest Christmas ever'

Calista's lungs are being drained, some of her vertebrae are fractured and an orthopaedic plate has been inserted in one of her hands. Cresentia sustained serious head injuries.

"We aren't sure how serious her injuries are yet, since her head is still swollen," said her uncle.

"How does one ever recover from something like this? My brother and sister-in-law lived for their children. This is going to be the saddest Christmas ever."

Ringo Meintjes was a mechanic, and his wife a stay-at-home mother.

Ledwaba was not able to confirm whether beer bottles were found on the scene of the accident. Nobody has been arrested in connection with the accident.

- Beeld