The family of Farren du Preez is seeking justice after she was crushed to death under a taxi in Delft Main Road.
Du Preez, 19, from Roosendal was on her way to work when she boarded a Delft/Parow minibus last Thursday morning.
According to eyewitness and family friend Kathleen Williams, 63, the taxi driver was allegedly speeding when he overtook another taxi.
Williams says: “I was walking from Belhar Mall when I saw the taxi which Farren was in overtake another taxi and then swerve to try and avoid the other taxi from driving into him because that taxi was driving straight.
“Next thing I saw people flying out of the taxi and the taxi landed on top of two passengers, one of them being Farren.
“I suspect they sat near the door because the door was off. Other guys had to come and lift the taxi back on its wheels. I can’t handle it, it hurts so much, the way I saw her with stukke blood coming from her nose and ears breaks my heart.”
Farren’s mother, Rene was too traumatised to speak to the Daily Voice.
Family friend, Dorothea Pharo, says: “I saw the accident on social media that morning when my son asked me to help Rene. When I got to Rene, she told me that Farren’s employer phoned to say that she never arrived at work and she is not answering her phone.
“We thought maybe Farren was still waiting for another taxi. When we got to the scene, we found out that she was killed in the accident. I got such a big shock.”
Pharo says the family is looking for Du Preez’s phone as her ID was at the back of the phone. At the scene, they were told that the taxi driver took the phones of the victims.
She says when they got to Delft Police Station, they found out that the driver had not been arrested.
Pharo says: “The officer told us that he would phone the driver and ask where the phone was as the driver was not there. We asked why the driver was not arrested and the officer told us that they have the driver’s ID and will let him know when he will appear in court.”
Police spokesperson, Sergeant Wesley Twigg, however confirmed that no arrests have been made and that Delft police registered a culpable homicide case for investigation.
Du Preez’s sister Myrna Claasen says they want justice as her sister did not deserve to die like that.
