Young dad dies in horror smash
2008-08-24 23:33
Stilfontein - A young father died here on Sunday after a car allegedly being driven by an off-duty policeman crashed into his motorcycle.
Jaco Strydom, 31, a businessman, died at about 02:10 on Sunday morning in an accident at a four-way stop in the middle of town. He'd turned 31 the day before.
Family, friends and dozens of motorcyclists from the Brotherhood motorcycle club, of which Jaco was a member, placed flowers at the scene of the accident, stood in a circle and prayed.
Jaco's wife, Magda, 27, his sister Magda, 33, and his parents Pierre and Magda, stood there crying.
The impact was such that Jaco's leg, which was ripped off in the accident, lay metres from the rest of his body.
The driver of the car suffered minor injuries and was taken to the Wilmed Park Private Hospital.
"My husband was a very responsible motorcyclist. He loved speed - but not in town," Magda said.
The couple's daughter Nicola, 4, apparently was the apple of her father's eye.
"Did you know that my daddy is dead?
"A policeman drove into him," Nicola said on Sunday.
Police spokesperson Inspector Wilmarie van der Merwe confirmed that the car had been driven by a policeman, adding that it was his private car.