Kimberley - A children's party ended in tragedy after a woman was killed in a motor vehicle accident in the early hours of on Monday morning.
Nicolene Leonard, 27, died after her neck was apparently broken in a car accident about one kilometre from her home in Galeshewe.
According to Leonard’s aunt and the owner of the car, Elizabeth Kramp, the incident happened after her daughter, the deceased and other family members and friends had attended a children’s party in Homevale Extension.
“I hosted the party at my home and Nicolene and other family members attended. Nicolene, my daughter Belinda, her boyfriend, who was the driver of the car, together with a family friend and her three-year-old child, left the party just before midnight. They were on their way home to Galeshewe. I never suspected that anything like this would happen when we said goodbye,” Kramp said on Monday.
She said that she received a phone call informing her that her car had been involved in an accident.
“I received a call saying that my car had crashed into the wall of Kgalalelo Funeral Parlour. I drove to the scene but everyone inside the car had already been transported to hospital. I heard the people on the scene saying that Nicolene had died. I then went to my sister’s house and broke the news to her.”
Kramp said that her daughter, Belinda, had broken her upper leg in the accident and was still in hospital, but added that the driver, as well as the three-year-old child, had been discharged from hospital after receiving medical assistance.
She said that the mother of the child was the only person who was not injured in the accident.
The manager of Kgalalelo Funeral Parlour, Bobo Riet, said he was informed about the accident by his security guards.
“I received a call from the security, saying that a car had crashed into the wall of the funeral parlour. When I arrived at the scene, the car was still in the wall. There were paramedics and police on the scene attending to those who were injured. We were informed that a young woman had been killed. The deceased fell under the back seat and it is believed that her neck and rib cage were broken. There was a child of about three who had sustained an injury to the head. The people who were injured were transported to hospital,” said Riet.
Leonard’s mother, Marie Leonard, said that her daughter was a very friendly person who was kind and caring.
“Nicolene was in such a happy mood before she went to the party. She was such a pleasant and friendly person. Her colleagues and patients at the Kimberley Hospital Complex, where she was employed as part of the kitchen staff, used to praise her for being so kind and caring. No one ever had a problem with her,” said Marie.
She added that she would miss her daughter, who was the youngest of her five children.
“We are all saddened by the incident. We will miss Nicolene’s presence tremendously. We also feel very sad for her five-year-old daughter, who has been left behind.”
Police spokesperson, Sergeant Majang Skalkie, said that police are investigating a case of culpable homicide after a woman died in a car accident shortly after midnight on Monday.