N2 smash victim in critical condition
LYING in a critical condition in hospital, Debbie Stephen, whose vehicle was smashed into by cops and suspected robbers on the N2 last Friday, could be placed in an induced coma this weekend.
The 55-year-old was driving on the N2 from uMhlanga to Pinetown when a police car and a hijacked vehicle crashed into her.
The police officers had been chasing a Mercedes Benz carrying five men, when a shoot-out ensued. The suspects tried to drive the police vehicle off the road.
Both vehicles veered off the northbound lane and crashed into the southbound lane, hitting Stephen’s vehicle. Stephen was taken to hospital and was in a critical condition and her daughter, Candice, said her mother was still in ICU.
“She has some fractures, and broken ribs, and the doctors said her lungs are very bruised. There is a lot of fluid build-up as well, and it looks like her lungs are collapsing. The doctors say they will have to make a decision whether to place her in an induced coma for a while,” said Candice.
Stephen has been able to speak intermittently with her family, in-between battling to breathe. The family has appealed for anyone who has videos or images of the accident to send them to: candice_mohamed@ymail.com to help piece together the incident for their mother, who had asked about the sequence of events. At the time of the smash, Stephen had been speaking on the hands-free set with her daughter-in-law, Jaydene, who heard the crash as it happened. Stephen managed to tell Jaydene to call for help and also give her a rough idea of where the accident took place.
Four of the suspects died, and one was arrested. The incident caused a backlog of traffic for more than two hours, while police officers and emergency workers cleared the scene.