“He looks, he moves, and he’s as strong as his father. He has his soul and spirit.

This is how 12-year-old Amoné is described, who was the only survivor of the terrible accident that killed his three siblings and parents on Thursday, October 24th.

The accident, which created shock waves throughout the country and shook road safety once again, and especially the carnage caused by trucks on the roads, took place on the Schoemanskloof road near the famous Indabushe Eco Lodge. A truck allegedly passed two trucks in a straight line and hit Herbst’s vehicle head-on.

Truck driver Thembinkosi Vilikazi (32) was charged with five counts of involuntary manslaughter. He appeared briefly in court in Machadodorp and the case was adjourned until Monday for further investigation. He is still detained.

Pieter, his wife Chantelle and their daughters Mienke (13), Kara (9) and Anzelle (4) died in the collision.

Amoné is currently being treated by a trauma specialist at Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg. He was sitting in the back of the double-cab bakkie when the accident occurred. The impact was so violent that it fractured his right tibia and fibula and tore ligaments in his left leg.

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Initially there were fears that his life could be in danger due to his kidney ‘moving’ due to the blow and putting pressure on his pancreas. “But the specialist said she is a strong girl and we should wait for her body to start healing on its own,” a close family member, who wished to remain anonymous, told Lowvelder.

Pieter’s parents, Pieter Sr. and Gerty, are not ready to come out to the media just yet. “The family is not doing well right now. It is difficult for them to cope with the loss of their five precious loved ones,” he said.

“Pieter and his father were extremely close. They called each other ‘Boet’! Amoné’s fighting spirit, dealing with trauma and injury, is a balm to all of our souls right now. But one of the most wonderful aspects that has now come to light is that Pieter is a wonderfully compassionate person. He touched the lives of many people. And he never talked or bragged about it. “He is truly our golden nugget.”

Ironically, while waiting for the Herbst family to arrive in Mbombela, some other family members were watching a vehicle tracking device in real time. At one point they saw an accident on the Schoemanskloof road, but they did not realize who it was at the time.

No funeral arrangements were made until Amoné was able to attend.

Reaction to road safety on social media

This accident highlighted the urgent need to address road safety issues, especially those related to trucks and the tragic consequences they can cause.

“The N4 between Machadodorp and Komatipoort/Maputo is like carrying a lot of rolling stock behind a locomotive on a daily basis, but only on a public road,” Kobus van der Walt said on Facebook. “South Africa needs a ‘Zondo Commission’ to investigate the entire transport sector. “Such an investigation would likely uncover a ring of legal and illegal mining operations and transportation cartels that is on the verge of a new version of ‘state capture’.”

Frieda Hefer says: “Reckless driving, including speeding and dangerous overtaking, continues to claim lives. Let’s demand safer roads; “It’s time to act.”

According to Emgwenya’s Rudolf Pretorius, this heartache stems from the ‘pathetic management of the railway system’.

“One train load takes approximately 50 vehicles off the road. They choose to close railway lines rather than use or manage them effectively. “It is ridiculous that raw materials are extracted in Burgersfort/Steelpoort/Lydenburg but are transported hundreds of kilometers by road rather than using nearby stations without using the existing railway line.”

“Surely truck owners should be responsible and accountable?” asks James Richardson.

“Traffic police are rarely seen on these roads except to stop Mozambican vehicles. “This situation needs to be addressed very seriously and urgently, as this N4 route poses a deadly danger and many accidents have occurred, many people have been injured and lost their lives.”