A Cape Town rider has survived a freak accident after colliding head-first with the back of a car on Slangkop Road, Kommetjie, on Saturday evening.
Allan Sutten, 72, from Fish Hoek was said to be on one of his regular afternoon rides on his Kawasaki ER-6n when he crashed into the back of a silver Toyota Yaris.
According to his family, Sutten suffered a concussion, three broken ribs and a broken bone in his shoulder.
He was expected to be discharged on Monday.
His eldest son, Ian Sutten, said his father was still in shock and couldn’t remember much about the accident.
He said his father, a retired engineer, had always been passionate about his motorcycle and loved taking it for rides along the peninsula.
“In all the years he has been riding, I don’t remember him being in an accident as serious as this one. When I look at the way the bike was positioned on the car, I can only be grateful my dad walked away with the injuries he has. It could have been much worse,” he said.
Sutten said he had been “scared” when the doctors told the family there was blood between his father’s skull and brain.
“But they explained it would not be a problem as the body usually absorbs it. They are optimistic that he will make a steady recovery, but they could not say for sure because of his age.”
Asked whether the accident would put his father off motorbikes, he said he could not see any reason why it would stop him from riding again, as it was his father’s great “love”.
Cape Medical Response spokesman, Darren Zimmerman, said it was the first time the team had witnessed a scene where a motorbike had been “parked inside the back of a car”.
“We believe Sutten was overtaking the vehicle in front of him when he slammed into the back of the car”, said Zimmerman.
Zimmerman said the driver of the vehicle had not sustained any injuries. - Cape Times