For three minutes, 16-year-old Antonio Posthumus tried to resuscitate his friend Malcolm Booysens after he was hit by a car driven by a 12-year-old boy in Brakpan, Ekurhuleni. Unfortunately, the 14-year-old had already passed on.
An ordinary weekend afternoon turned into tragedy when the young boy, who was allegedly driving at high speed, failed to obey a stop sign. That led to Malcolm being hit before the car overturned. The victim, who had his 14th birthday last week, died at the scene.
The incident on Saturday, along Northdene Street, just about 800m from the driver's home, has left the community reeling in shock.
It is unclear how long the minor had been driving the car before the crash.
On Sunday, Antonio recalled how he tried to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but Malcolm was not responsive.
“My father and I were in our garage fixing something when we heard a loud bang. We ran outside and saw a huge cloud of dust. I saw someone lying on the pavement when I got closer, I realised it was my friend Malcolm,” said Antonio.
“I started mouth-to-mouth, pumped his chest for about three minutes and checked for a pulse. That’s when I realised, he had no pulse and called for help from my mother.”
Minor in deadly Brakpan crash took parents' car without permission
It hurts, parents are not supposed to bury their children – victim's dad
For three minutes, 16-year-old Antonio Posthumus tried to resuscitate his friend Malcolm Booysens after he was hit by a car driven by a 12-year-old boy in Brakpan, Ekurhuleni. Unfortunately, the 14-year-old had already passed on.
An ordinary weekend afternoon turned into tragedy when the young boy, who was allegedly driving at high speed, failed to obey a stop sign. That led to Malcolm being hit before the car overturned. The victim, who had his 14th birthday last week, died at the scene.
The incident on Saturday, along Northdene Street, just about 800m from the driver's home, has left the community reeling in shock.
It is unclear how long the minor had been driving the car before the crash.
On Sunday, Antonio recalled how he tried to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but Malcolm was not responsive.
“My father and I were in our garage fixing something when we heard a loud bang. We ran outside and saw a huge cloud of dust. I saw someone lying on the pavement when I got closer, I realised it was my friend Malcolm,” said Antonio.
“I started mouth-to-mouth, pumped his chest for about three minutes and checked for a pulse. That’s when I realised, he had no pulse and called for help from my mother.”
Antonio said that while he rushed to Malcolm, his father had run towards the smoking car that had crashed into a tree, with the 12-year-old driver trapped inside. Pictures from the crash scene showed the car lying on its side with one wheel snapped off after smashing a neighbour's front wall.
Ekurhuleni spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said metro police were summoned to an accident that occurred at the corner of Northdene and Medeley streets.
“Officers found the lifeless body of a 14-year-old pedestrian, who was declared deceased at the scene by the paramedics. Also at the scene, the officers found a Mazda that was driven by a 12-year-old driver,” Dlamini said.
“It is alleged that the 12-year-old disobeyed a stop sign and collided with the pedestrian. The suspect is expected to appear before the Brakpan magistrate's court soon.
Dlamini said the driver was handed to Brakpan police and was in the company of his guardian.
Antonio, who has an interest in emergency services, said this was the third time he had to use his first aid skills, but nothing could have prepared him for the loss of a close friend.
Malcolm's father, Quinton Booysens, said his son was killed just a few minutes after they parted ways.
He said they had gone to visit a friend’s home on Victoria Street but found no one. On their way back, Malcolm asked to skate ahead.
“I said fine, he could go. As I turned the corner, I saw a white car flying past a stop sign. A loud bang followed. I rushed ahead and saw his skateboard first, then him lying on the pavement,” Booysens said.
Booysens said the teen driver's mother visited them after the crash and told them their son had not been given permission to drive the car.
“But no matter what she says or does, it won’t bring Malcolm back,” Booysens said.
The grade 6 pupil was being homeschooled and had expressed a strong desire to become a pastor.
“For the last three months, he kept saying he wanted to preach. It hurts. Parents are not supposed to bury their children.”
Melinda Jan Van Renburg of EMS Chaplain Trauma Support said the area has seen a disturbing rise in vehicle-related crashes involving pedestrians.
“In the past two weeks, we’ve responded to four incidents, some involving children. A 10-year-old was also hit near the Carnival Mall. Just last night, there was another accident in Springs.”
Department of transport spokesperson Collen Msibi said: “If the car was acquired with consent, then yes [the teen driver's parent may face prosecution]. But if not, then it will be part of the police investigation because we don't have a clause that says if you take the car keys without permission, what does it mean.
“For instance, a gun holder has to put the gun in a safe and so on and if something happens, they can be charged with negligence, but with car keys, it is a different case.”
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