SOCCER legend Doctor Khumalo was paralytically drunk on the morning his BMW Z4 crashed into the back of a taxi.

SOCCER legend Doctor Khumalo was paralytically drunk on the morning his BMW Z4 crashed into the back of a taxi.

This testimony was heard in the Roodepoort magistrate's court yesterday at Khumalo's appearance on charges od drunken, reckless and negligent driving after an accident that occurred near the Maraisburg Road off-ramp in Johannesburg.

The taxi was carrying three women, one of whom was eight months pregnant, to their place of work in May last year.

There were no fatalities.

Emilian Alves, the paramedic who attended the scene of accident, said: "When my partner and I arrived at the scene we found him seated in a private tow truck. I wanted to examine him but he refused to be treated. I couldn't force him. It is every patient's right to refuse treatment.

"There were other paramedics at the scene who had arrived before us. I asked them whether they had treated him but they told me that he had refused."

Alves told the court that he and his partner had to assist him to get out of the truck .

"He couldn't do anything on his own. There were other patients that we had to attend to, so I left him with my partner. He lost his balance when I let go of him. He grabbed my jacket.

"Had we both left him to stand on his own, he would have fallen to the ground."

He said Khumalo reeked of alcohol. Alves also said getting Khumalo into the ambulance was not an easy process.

He said Khumalo's associates - two men - arrived on the scene, took him out of the ambulance and led him to a private car parked a distance away.

"At that time the Johannesburg Metro Police's Superintendent Wayne Minnaar was already on the scene," Alves said. "He asked if I had treated Khumalo, and I told him that he had refused treatment.

"Minnaar then ordered police officials to arrest Khumalo 'because he was trying to escape'. "My partner and I fetched him and put him back in the ambulance."

The trial continues today.