Ace PE biker dies in smash
Devastated son arrives on scene just seconds later
AFUN family get-together ended tragically yesterday when a well-known Port Elizabeth motorcyclist died in a crash on his way home. His son, who had been riding a short distance behind him, arrived on the scene just seconds later.
Wheelie and drag-racing king Dayalin Padayachey, 50, of Humewood, had just left the Baywest Shopping Centre, where he had played tenpin and had lunch with his family, when a car allegedly clipped the side of his bike on the N2, causing him to lose control, according to a friend at the scene.
Padayachey was flung from the bike and hit a barrier rail, with his bike skidding across the road and coming to a standstill in the emergency lane.
“We were just heading home from Baywest [shortly after 4pm],” his devastated son, Dayaan, 20, who has won several drag-racing events and set the fastest quarter mile time ever recorded on a super bike in the Eastern Cape in October 2013, said.
“The family had lunch and had been playing tenpin bowling there [Baywest Mall],” he said, with tears streaming down his face.
A large group of stunned friends and family, some of whom had been at Baywest with Padayachey just minutes earlier, gathered at the side of the N2 shortly after the accident.
Many were crying and hugging each other consolingly.
Others stared in shock at the wrecked motorbike, the pieces of debris strewn across the road and the dark blanket covering Padayachey’s body.
Dayaan said he knew very little about the accident and referred questions to family friend Clint Frieslaar, who had been riding with them.
Frieslaar, however, declined to comment.
“I am meeting with the family later and don’t want to make any statements without consulting with them first,” he said.
On the accident scene, Frieslaar helped police and traffic officials with information to reconstruct the accident scene for a thorough investigation.
Padayachey’s cousin, Gona Puckreesamy, a founding member of the Dolphins Motorcycle Club, said the biking community had lost “an absolute giant”.
“He was a legend. He was the Wheelie King,” Puckreesamy said.
“I was devastated when I heard. I visited his family and they are broken. “He was such a fit and healthy guy. “When we were at [biker] rallies, he went out of his way to help other people.
“I cannot believe he is gone. He was like a brother to me.”
He said Padayachey, who owned Born Wild Transport in the city, was the undisputed Wheelie King at the Dolphin Rally, and had defended the Drag King title for a number of years.
Last year, he stepped aside and Dayaan claimed the title.
The father-son team also dominated at the Swallows Rally in Worcester earlier this year, when Dayalin took the 1 000cc drag title, and Dayaan was crowned champion of the drag open category.
Dayaan also retained his King of Drag title at the Strawdogs Rally last year, out-racing 30 professional bike dragsters in
Graaff-Reinet. Padayachey’s cousin, Theeru Moodley, 57, who was known as the The Godfather in the biking community as he co-founded the Dolphin Motorcycle Rally with Puckreesamy, also died in a bike accident five years ago.
Padayachey also leaves behind his wife, Maya, 42, and a daughter, Neritika, 18.
The accident caused a traffic jam, with cars heading towards Port Elizabeth diverted into one lane, a few hundred metres from the off-ramp coming from Baywest.
The lanes heading out of Port Elizabeth were also lined with cars as curious motorists stopped to see what had happened.
Police spokeswoman Colonel Priscilla Naidu said preliminary reports suggested Padayachey’s bike had hit the side of a Suzuki car and the car had then hit a Volkswagen Golf travelling in the lane next to it.
“Details are still sketchy as the other two vehicles’ drivers were taken to hospital,” she said.
“The motorbike and the two vehicles that were involved in the accident were all travelling in the same direction – towards Port Elizabeth.
“It appears that the motorbike rider lost control of the bike and hit into the side of the Suzuki, before attempting to take corrective driving measures.
“During the course of the incident, [Padayachey] was flung off his bike.”
Naidu said they would not know what had happened until they spoke to the other two drivers.
“Our specialist accident response unit will conduct an investigation into what exactly transpired,” she said.
Nelson Mandela Bay EMS operations manager Ashwell Botha said Padayachey had already been dead when they arrived.
“He had already passed away due to injuries sustained in the accident,” Botha said.