Youths survive horrific car crash
Case of reckless driving opened
FOUR youths survived a car accident at about 2am on Sunday when the driver lost control of his blue Volkswagen Polo and jumped the kerb outside the Royal St Andrews Hotel before crashing into pavement fixtures and a tree.
The vehicle was apparently coming from the direction of Atherstone Road, where the occupants had dropped off a fifth passenger.
Witnesses alleged that the vehicle did not stop at the Dickinson, Atherstone and Links Road intersection, and sped off in the direction of Royal St Andrews Hotel.
The driver allegedly lost control and swerved onto the grass verge adjacent to the golf course.
The vehicle then hit the kerb at the entrance to the hotel parking area and veered onto the patio in front of the hotel reception, ripping through sections of the patio outside the Highlander and causing significant damage to the property.
The vehicle knocked over a bollard in front of the reception area, destroyed a light on the pavement, broke a window and smashed through a flower box before coming to a standstill against a coral tree.
Witnesses reported that the vehicle ricocheted between the tree and outside furniture and fixtures.
Police were on the scene and Metro EMS and Gardmed treated the four occupants.
Witnesses reported that the driver, a Port Alfred High School intern cricket coach, was taken to a hospital in Port Elizabeth and had sustained a significant laceration to the head.
Two of the other three passengers, who included another PAHS intern coach, were admitted to Port Alfred Hospital and have since been discharged. The fourth passenger was examined but not admitted for care.
SAPS spokeswoman Captain Mali Govender confirmed that a case of reckless and negligent driving had been opened and that police are investigating further details of the accident.