Victim says: “We cannot return home after traumatic accident”

The owner of a Thornville home that was badly damaged in a truck collision two weeks ago is considering moving.

Thembalakhe Sibozana said his family was still traumatised by the incident and the fact that someone had died in their garden.

The truck driver was transporting a load of logs on the R56 and was travelling towards Richmond shortly after 9pm on 22 May when the accident occurred.

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The truck first drove through another family’s house and then crashed into Sibozana’s house. The driver died instantly.

Six people from the two houses were injured – two adults and two children from one family and a mother and child from another. Sibozana was also injured while rescuing his children and wife.

Speak with The witness This week he said that only one of the victims was still in the hospital and would hopefully be released soon.

The accident has changed their lives and they cannot get over the trauma, especially the children. We no longer live in the house because it was badly damaged. We went from owning our own home to renting, something we never thought possible. I even have to take the children to school myself because they cannot get to our current accommodation in their vehicles due to the state of the roads.

“It’s very hard. Sometimes we visit the damaged house to look for anything that can still be salvaged, but much of what we owned is damaged or destroyed. Returning brings back all the trauma,” he said.

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“The memories we have and the trauma we have experienced make it difficult to return.

What’s worse is that someone died in our house. I’m going to try to talk to the moving company to see if they can help me rebuild my house somewhere else.

“Going back there is really not an option at the moment. They mentioned that they are in talks with their insurance company,” he added.