There has been a desperate appeal for witnesses to what is thought to have been a road-rage related hit-and-run incident on 23 March, in which 28-year-old Alan Smit lost his life.
The doting husband and father of two young children died as the result of his serious injuries after being knocked over by a vehicle, which then sped off.
The incident occurred in the evening, sometime between eight and a few minutes after nine. According to the victim’s sister, Jamie, Alan was driving his Land Rover Defender on the N2 between Sedgefield and Knysna, with a friend in the passenger seat. The friend, she said, is still traumatised by the events that followed, and has asked that his name be kept out of the paper. He has, however, relayed information about the tragedy to her and the rest of Alan’s family.
He said that as they went along the N2, a vehicle approached them from behind, driving very close to their bumper flashing its headlights. Though the highway was busy, the vehicle tried to force its way past them several times, but the bends in the road and low visibility made it dangerous for Alan to pull over and let him overtake.
Just after going down Kuitersnek (the hill going towards the White Bridge), the same vehicle, a small bakkie, went past, but then braked suddenly as it pulled into the lane in front of them. They too had to slam on brakes, and both vehicles came to a grinding halt a few metres apart.
The driver of the bakkie got out of his vehicle, as did Alan and his friend. But when they walked towards the driver, he climbed back into the bakkie and started the engine. It was then that the bakkie, with its door still open, came hurtling towards them in reverse.
The friend watched in horror as the bakkie careered into Alan, knocking him flat onto the tar, before speeding off away from the scene. All he could do was rush to Alan’s side to try and help him. He had to pull the badly injured man’s body off the busy road as he feared he might suffer further injury from other vehicles.
Alan was eventually taken to Knysna Hospital by ambulance. Sadly, he never recovered consciousness and succumbed to his injuries the following day.
His family is understandably devastated, and hoping that the perpetrator of this hit-and-run is found and brought to justice. His siblings and parents in Jo’burg cannot believe that he died so young and in such a senseless way. They say he relocated to the Garden Route only a year ago to provide a better life for his family.
Jamie says they are totally frustrated by conflicting reports from the police as to what is happening with the case. The family was, at one stage, told that the offending vehicle had been found, but then they were later informed that no arrests had been made as it would take three months to match the forensics.
“We want closure,” she said, “And we would hate for another family to have to go through this.”
She and Alan’s wife, Ashleigh, now a single mother of a four-year-old daughter and nine-month-old son, have put out appeals on social media, hoping for witnesses to come forward with any information that might help with the investigation and thus speed up the process so that the perpetrator can be brought to book. Such witnesses may reach Jamie Smit on cell 082 926 8713 or her email address, or inform Knysna Police Station.
SAPS were contacted regarding the case, but at time of going to press, no further details had been provided by their media offices.