Man drives past brother's crash
2008-05-12 09:21
Nelspruit - He thought at first it was the engine of the truck lying under the Spar delivery vehicle at a crash scene outside Sabie.
But a short distance away he saw a motorcycle seat that he immediately recognised.
"It must please not be my brother," said a shocked Timothy Higgs, 35, to the traffic officer on the scene.
"The expression on his face said it all."
Higgs on Sunday spoke about the death of his brother Gavin, who died two days after turning 32.
The accident happened at about 13:00 when Gavin, who was driving from Nelspruit to Sabie on his BMW bike, collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction.
It is not yet clear what happened, but it is suspected that either the bike or the truck had cut a corner on the Long Tom pass and that the bike then crashed into the truck.
Timothy drove past the accident scene shortly after the crash and realised that it was Gavin who had died on the scene.
Gavin was apparently on the way back from a job interview at Sappi in Ngodwana near Nelspruit.
His girlfriend, Lida-Louise Aucamp, 27, said he was in a hurry to get home.
"He was such a good person and always wanted to help others. He always had a joke ready and loved nature," she said.
"It was a gruesome sight," said an eyewitness, Eljo Neethling.
Gavin's mother, Marie, was too shocked to talk to the media.
Gavin played rugby for the White River Rugby Club and also had Lowfeld colours.
He is survived by another brother, Stephen.