Durban: An Umzinto man was knocked down in an alleged hit and run while attending to a breakdown call-out last Sunday night.
Yasteel Mohanlal, 20, who worked for a tow-truck company, died at the scene, on the N2 freeway southbound near Park Rynie.
Malanie Moodley, his maternal aunt, said: “Our child was doing his job when he was struck and flung metres away. The truck driver didn’t even stop to check on him or help. It’s impossible that he couldn’t have seen the brokendown vehicle on the side of the road. This was just recklessness.
“My nephew was one of a kind. He was caring and loving. When I lost my husband a few years ago, he came to live with me in Port Shepstone. He was my strength and comfort during those difficult days.“
Moodley said Mohanlal loved his job and wanted to open a tow-truck business.
“He was going to turn 21 in January next year. We planned to give him a surprise party and buy him his first vehicle to start his business. He deserved the best.
“Right now, we need answers and closure. My nephew followed the rules of the road and he was behind the yellow line. The person who knocked him needs to be held responsible."
Mohanlal was cremated at the Clare Estate Crematorium on Thursday. He leaves his parents and two siblings.
Captain Nqobile Gwala, a provincial police spokesperson, said a case of culpable homicide was being investigated.
The Post