MID SOUTH COAST MAIL, NOVEMBER 10, 2000
Sandy- Scott Wheeler, the 19-year-old driver, spoke to the MAIL from his bed in King George Hospital’s high care unit. “I remember almost everything that happened,” he said. “Five of us spent the night jolling in Scottburgh. Three wanted to go home, so Patrick du Preez and I dropped them off in Widenham. We were hungry and decided to go to a steak house in ‘Toti. When we got there, it was closed, so we turned around and drove towards Widenham. Patrick fell asleep in the passenger seat. I saw dogs on the road at Umgababa and swerved, trying not to cause an accident, but also trying not to hit the dogs. A front wheel left the road and I corrected it, but the back wheels slid onto the grass. The car hit a drain. I don’t remember anything after that until I woke up in hospital.” In fact, Sandy was admitted into three hospitals before he regained consciousness.
Escaped
Patrick, who escaped the crash with a scratch on his arm, said, “I woke up when we hit the drain. I wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and remember flying out of the car, then I blacked out. A man who stopped took us to GJ Crookes Hospital in Scottburgh. They couldn’t help Sandy so he was transferred to King Edward Hospital, then to King George V Jubilee Hospital. “A man told us the car rolled for ages,” he said. Sandy, who underwent a spinal fusion operation last week, said he asked the doctor for his honest opinion on his recovery. “They don’t think I’ll walk again, I broke my neck,” he said. “My neck is sore from the operation and breathing hurts my throat, but I can’t feel anything else,” said Sandy. Scottburgh resident, June Holtzhausen has taken Sandy’s cause to heart. Professor Govender who is Sandy’s surgeon, told June that Sandy will need 24-hour-nursing care for the rest of his life. A local nursing establishment has been approached so that Sandy not only gets the nursing care that he will require but will also be “local” so that friends have easy access to him. “We have set up a trust fund and ask people to donate a monthly amount. It’s a simple matter to sign a debit order that will automatically pay an amount into Sandy’s trust fund once a month,” said June. The trustees are Dr Beth McLeod, Trevor Cooke, Simon van den Bosch and Werner Holtzhausen. Werner who is a building contractor, is prepared to alter premises to make them “Sandy friendly”. There are plans to employ a nurse aid. Sandy said he wanted to thank the Holtzhausen’s and Dale and Rose Shipmann for taking his friends through to see him and arranging for him to have everything he needs. He is also grateful to Teljoy, who sponsored the television set that stands on the trolley at the foot of his bed. When asked if he wanted anything, Sandy said jokingly that he would “love M-Net and a satellite dish.”
Message
He sent this message to everyone: “Don’t drink and drive, wear your safety belt, from one who has experienced it.” For more information on the trust fund, Phone June Holtzhausen on 039 973 1705. Sandy’s parents Lionel and Susan Wheeler, who live at Widenham, could not be reached at the time of going to press.
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