Family’s close call with stray cow in road
A Komani woman and her daughter recently had a narrow escape when the vehicle in which they were travelling struck a stray cow in the vicinity of the SPCA premises near the turnoff to Ezibeleni.
Joan Roberts came to town from the family’s home in the Bonkolo basin to fetch her daughter, Catherine, from a school function and they were on their way home just after 8pm when she came upon five cows in the road.
“By the time I saw the dark-coloured animal, it was only a few metres away. I slammed on brakes but could not avoid hitting it and it somersaulted and landed at the side of the road.”
She continues, “Thank God I was in my husband’s double cab vehicle with a bull bar and not in my little car. We were both wearing seatbelts and fortunately neither of us was hurt, but the damage to our vehicle amounted to R105,000.”
After the incident, the damaged vehicle started and she managed to drive home with the engine emitting smoke and spluttering noises.
Roberts said the same night at almost exactly the same spot, a motorist hit another beast on the opposite side of the road as she saw skid marks and stomach contents there the next morning. Since then, she has heard of a third incident, making it three in the space of 300m within a week.
“We all know of the horrendous injuries resulting in innocent people being crippled, maimed or even killed in collisions with animals. I wish something could be done to keep stray animals off the roads.”
The incident was reported to the police who confirmed they had had three similar reports from that area within a short time, but that the R61 road to Cofimvaba was the worst in the area in this regard.
Police spokesperson Captain Namhla Mdleleni appealed to motorists to be very vigilant when driving in the area, especially after dark, and to the owners of livestock to ensure that their animals did not graze on the verges of public roads, were collected at sundown and enclosed in a safe place.