Knysna - A couple from Ravensmead in Cape Town are in critical condition in a Knysna hospital after a supercar crashed into them during a cross-country rally on Thursday, severing their limbs.
Police spokesman Captain Malcolm Pojie said: “They suffered multiple amputations during the crash and hospital staff are working around the clock to treat them.”
According to initial reports, at about 2pm the driver of a yellow Lamborghini Superleggera lost control near the finish line of a time trial up a hill on Old Cape Road, heading towards the Simola Country Estate in Knysna.
The Lamborghini crashed into a Toyota Prado and a Mercedes-Benz Vito parked on the side of the road. The couple, a 48-year old man and his 49-year-old wife, were standing near the vehicles and could not move out of the way in time.
The driver was one of 60 participants in the second Rogue Rally - a 2800km jaunt from Johannesburg to Cape Town for supercars. Knysna was one of the final stages of the rally, which was due to end on Saturday.
An official, who did not want to be named, said he witnessed the horror unfold and saw how the two tried to get out of the way.
“It felt like time stood still and then chaos erupted.”
Medical teams that were on standby rushed to the couple’s aid.
“The Vito went over the hill next to the road and landed on its side next to some trees. The two spectators sustained serious injuries and were rushed to a nearby private hospital,” Pojie said.
“The man is in a very critical condition at this stage, while his wife is in a serious but stable condition.”
Their family had asked police and organisers not to release their names.
Rally spokesman Jacques van den Bergh said the rest of Thursday’s stage was cancelled but the drivers would continue to Cape Town on Friday.
“We are reviewing footage from all the cars in the rally to see if we can find out what exactly happened,” Van den Bergh said.
The number plates of all the vehicles involved were removed. Pojie said police were investigating a case of reckless and negligent driving.
Garden Route Media