Young man killed in Rosemoor hit-and-run

GEORGE NEWS - The family of the 21-year-old L-Junior Jones, who died after being struck by a grey BMW in Canary Street, Rosemoor, in the early hours of Saturday 9 August, says they want justice for what happened to their son.

Jones was knocked over and allegedly dragged along for several metres underneath the car.

Adding to the anguish of the night, this was reportedly not the first incident involving this single driver. Shortly before, another person was hit by the same vehicle in Scorpio Street, Parkdene. He survived.

According to a family spokesperson who asked not to be named, Jones stepped outside with a friend at about 02:15. A fight broke out on the roadside among a group of people, including the two of them. Jones’ friend, Chad Oosthuizen, said that at one stage, he pulled Jones away from the fight and sat him down on the ground in an attempt to calm down.

“All of a sudden, we just heard people shouting, ‘Stop! Stop!’ It was for the driver of the BMW to stop, but the car didn’t slow down. He switched on his brights and sped right towards us,” Oosthuizen said.

A 12-year-old boy, Curtlee Stuurman, was also with Oosthuizen and Jones when the car hit all three of them.

The car reportedly hit Oosthuizen and Curtlee before crashing into Jones. Jones ended up underneath the car.
According to the family spokesperson, his family members and neighbours ran after the vehicle, which briefly stopped before speeding off again. Jones was dragged for some distance before eventually being freed. His family rushed him to hospital in a critical condition.

“When we stopped at hospital, I saw his injuries for the first time. I was horrified. I’ve never seen anything like it,” says Oosthuizen.
Jones was later transferred to Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town. Sadly, after two weeks there, he succumbed to his injuries on Friday 22 August.

According to the Southern Cape Police’s spokesperson, Sergeant Chris Spies, the investigation is at an advanced stage, and upon conclusion, and the docket will be sent to the National Prosecuting Authority for a decision. “No further information will be divulged at this stage, due to the sensitive nature of the investigation. Feedback on the progress will be provided to the affected parties,” Spies said.

“We also urge the public to refrain from casting aspersions on the ongoing police investigation. The detectives should be given the space to conduct it without any interference that may jeopardise it.”