GEORGE NEWS - It was a harrowing afternoon on the R102 on Saturday 5 September, when three incidents were reported within minutes of one another, two of them involving a Kawasaki ZX-14 motorcycle.
In the first incident, three vehicles were involved in a collision opposite Norga Nursery at about 16:15.
According to the police, a Datsun Go collided with a Toyota Hilux bakkie, which then collided with an Isuzu. The Datsun's driver was transported to a medical facility for treatment.
The police's provincial media liaison officer, Sergeant Wesley Twigg, confirmed that a case of reckless and negligent driving was registered. The circumstances remain under investigation, and no arrests have been made. Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the My SAPS app anonymously.
The result of the first incident that occurred opposite Norga Nursery on the R102. Photo: Supplied
About 45 minutes later, a second incident occurred between a Kawasaki ZX-14 and a BMW at the Blanco turn-off near the Cape Garden nursery.
Late on Tuesday afternoon, George Herald managed to get hold of the biker and his wife. The couple, who asked to remain anonymous, said they had moved to Mossel Bay a week ago and had gone for a drive to George to get some fresh air after a stressful week. They were on their way back out of town when the incident happened.
An eyewitness who requested anonymity told George Herald that the BMW driver, who had been travelling in front of him in George's direction, had intended to turn left onto the Blanco road when the oncoming bike hit it.
The biker said that, from his perspective, it appeared that the BMW they collided with was making a U-turn. The witness, however, claimed that the BMW driver in front of him had not intended to make a U-turn, as had since been speculated on social media.
The witness claims that the man and woman on the Kawasaki did not stop at all and immediately left the scene following this collision, nearly bumping into his own vehicle in the process. George Herald obtained a camera image of the biker apparently leaving the scene, as well as one showing some damage to the bike's front left side.
The biker told the paper he had been travelling in sixth gear and was unable to stop after the collision because the gear lever had been ripped off.
He said he was in shock and did not think to use the cut-off switch or switch off the ignition. He continued riding until the motorcycle eventually stalled near Buff & Fellow further down the R102, after having lost its oil due to the damage sustained on its left side.
The biker claims it seemed to them as they were riding off involuntarily, that the BMW driver was also leaving the scene after the collision. However, a photo the newspaper obtained clearly shows the BMW on the scene, stationary.
The stationary BMW after the collision with the Kawasaki ZX-14 at the Blanco turn-off on the R102. Photo: Supplied
The biker said when they finally came to a stop near Buff & Fellow, a woman named Adri and three young men assisted them and helped move the motorcycle out of the road.
Accounts circulating on social media differ from the eyewitness' account. Adri van de Westhuizen, whose Facebook profile is locked, stated that she was first on the scene of the stalled bike and that three young motorcyclists had stopped to assist the biker and his wife. She claims the biker was not responsible for the earlier collision, and agrees with him that the BMW's driver had made a U-turn before leaving the scene. She also stated that the motorcyclists were sober and assisted the injured and moved his motorbike.
On the scene where the bikers are treated for their injuries after coming to a halt. Photo: Supplied
All these conflicting accounts have not yet been independently verified. George Herald approached traffic department spokesperson Muneera Allie for comment on these incidents and the circumstances surrounding the BMW and bike collision, but no response had been received by the time of going to press.
The biker sustained injuries to his leg. Photo: Supplied
The biker sustained a high-risk fracture to his left femur, while his wife sustained soft-tissue injuries to her left leg, hip and lower back. They were admitted to George Hospital at 18:58.
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