Kimberley - A young city boy was killed when he was hit by a car while he and a group of friends went to relieve themselves in the veld early on Saturday morning.
The parents of 14-year-old Emmanuel Springbok, from Jacksonville, said that he would still be alive today if the toilet inside their home was functioning.
Emmanuel was taken to hospital with serious injuries where he later died.
According to several Jacksonville residents they are being forced to relieve themselves in the veld next to the Roodepan road because the toilets in their newly constructed RDP houses are not working.
Emmanuel’s parents, Sandra and Pieter Springbok, said that they were heartbroken that their son was killed in this manner.
Sandra said she was in bed when she heard that her son had been involved in an accident.
“Emmanuel was earlier busy doing the dishes and cleaning the house. He and a group of five friends decided to go to the bush. He quickly popped into my bedroom, where I was lying, and told me where they were going. I said to him that it was fine, and I did not find anything wrong with it because we all use the bush as a toilet every day.
“Moments later two of his friends came running into the house and said that Emmanuel was hit by a car,” Sandra said.
She rushed to the scene, where she found her son lying on the ground.
“I saw him lying there and rushed over to him. One woman said that I must not move him and we should wait for paramedics to arrive. I was on my knees next to him and said a prayer. His eyes were closed but he was still breathing. His head was swollen and I saw blood dripping out of his nose.”
She said that an elderly woman came to embrace her while she was at the scene.
“Everything happened so fast. One woman came and apologised for the accident. She said it was their car that hit my son.
“I saw that they were part of a group of people who attended a funeral and I suspected that the car that hit my son was on its way to the cemetery.”
Sandra said that she remained at the scene with her son until an ambulance arrived.
Pieter Springbok said that he holds no grudges against the driver of the vehicle that killed his son.
“We are heartbroken by this accident, but we are leaving it in the hands of God,” he said
Emmanuel’s friends, who went with him to the bushes, said they never imagined the day would end on such a tragic note.
One of the friends said that he and Emmanuel were walking in front of the other three friends when they saw a hearse driving to the cemetery.
“Emmanuel and I stopped behind the yellow line when we saw cars driving past. A bakkie and a car stopped to give me right of way. There was a car between me and Emmanuel. As I wanted to cross the street I saw another car approaching. The next moment I just heard a sound and saw the car hitting Emmanuel. He shouted ‘eina(ouch)’ and his head hit the windscreen. The force of the impact flung him to the ground.
“I rushed over to him and saw blood coming out his mouth and nose. He did not say anything and just lay there on the ground. I was so scared and stayed there until his mother came,” the friend said.
Police spokeswoman, Lieutenant-Colonel Dimakatso Mooi, confirmed the incident.
“On Saturday, at about 11am, 14-year-old Emanuel Springbok was crossing the road at Roodepan when he was hit by a white Toyota Conquest.
“The driver of the car was allegedly overtaking on the left hand side of the road. He had three passengers in the car with him and none of them were injured.
“Springbok was taken to hospital with serious injuries and later died. No one has been arrested in connection with the incident and the police are investigating a case of culpable homicide,” Mooi said.
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