White Hyundhai Alert: Jeff & Cynthia Solomon’s accident

Reported by Dr Peter Scott:

On the morning of Saturday, 5 September 2009 I was driving on my way to the club ride at Broadacres shopping centre. At approximate 05h50 I turned left off Main Road, Bryanston into Witkoppen Road. Approximately 200m from the corner where there is a clear shoulder and double road I saw a cyclist standing on the side of the road, a security response vehicle with his lights flashing and the wheels of a bicycle lying off the road. As I got closer, I saw 2 cyclists lying motionless approximately 5m off the road in the gutter which was more like a donga at that stage.

I came over to identify my friends Jeff & Cynthia Solomon’s as the injured cyclists. Cynthia at that stage was semi-comatosed and lying on her back. Amazingly however, she opened her eyes and identified me by name. Her husband Jeff was lying next to her on his side but at that stage not conscious. I could identify severe facial injuries and the start of a left peri-orbital haematoma. Fortunately, both of them had a good airway and pulse volume.

The two people present had called for ambulance and police and fortunately within 10 minutes we had 2 response cars, three ambulances followed by a fire truck and a tow truck. At that stage the paramedics immobilised Cynthia and Jeff on fracture boards with neck braces and they were transported to the Sunninghill Clinic. I contacted Olly who came and fetched their tandem bicycle which still had its head light on and rear tail light flasher but was in several pieces. I followed the ambulances to Sunnighill Clinic where I handed over to the casualty officer and went back a few hours later.

Jeff & Cynthia were in the Sunninghill Clinic Intensive Care Unit. They had been seen by Mark Eltringham, Orthopaedic Surgeon and also a club member. Both of them had multiple spinal fractures, fortunately without paralysis. Cynthia had a broken right elbow and their level of consciousness had improved although they still had no recollection of the accident. Except for Cynthia’s case who said that on seeing me there she knew everything would be alright.

The tragedy of this whole event is that Jeff & Cynthia had front and rear lights and Cynthia was wearing a new reflective jacket, similar to those worn by bike marshals. Despite this and the fact that they were within the yellow line, they were knocked off their bike with such force that it ended up in 3 pieces and they were thrown at least 5m from the bike. Brett, the cyclist cycling behind them, noted that the car was a white Hyundai involved in this hit and run incident. In fact, pieces of the car’s headlight and reflector were present at the scene of the accident but unfortunately no number plate.

All credit goes to Brett the cyclist who stopped and the security guard in the response vehicle who parked his car with flashing lights to block the lane to prevent any further injuries. Also to the fire department and ambulance services for their rapid response.

In a message to the public out there, if your son or daughter or neighbour has a smashed head light on a white Hyundai that cannot be properly explained, PLEASE contact the relevant authorities. The same would apply to anybody involved in Hyundai spares or panelbeating.