An Ocean View man is facing a charge of drunk driving after he allegedly crashed into a soccer player while driving under the influence of alcohol.
Cheslyn Williams made a brief appearance in the Simon’s Town Magistrate’s Court on Monday November 27. The case was postponed to Wednesday March 27 next year for the blood-alcohol report. He was released on bail.
It is alleged that he crashed his white Golf GTI into a soccer player on Adonis Way on Saturday November 25 while driving drunk.
Luke van Rhyn, 26, a member of Seaside Spurs FC, had been returning from a match in Mitchell’s Plain at around 6pm on Saturday November 25 when he was knocked down.
His mother, Helena van Rhyn, said she had just woken up after “dozing off” when a man had arrived at her house saying Luke had been hit by a car.
“I was very shocked and rushed to the accident scene.”
She said the impact had flung her son into a rock garden on the side of the pavement and she had found him in tears.
The same car had been heard speeding down Buffalo and Flamingo roads earlier that day, she said.
“He said, ‘Mom, I didn’t do anything wrong,’ and I just assured him that everything would be okay.”
Luke had complained about his ankle, a sore lower back and pressure on his chest, she said, adding that his coach, Earl Cloete, had told her that the police and paramedics were on their way.
Luke was taken to False Bay Hospital, where he was treated for a broken ankle and discharged the following day.
On Tuesday, she said, he had again complained about a sore lower back and pressure on his chest and she had taken him back to the hospital for a check-up, but they could not find any more injuries.
On Monday, Ms Van Rhyn said Luke was recovering well and had a follow-up appointment at the hospital on Tuesday. She said it was unclear when his cast would be removed, but he would not be able to play in the team’s next game against Premier United tomorrow, Friday December 8.
Provincial health department spokesperson Shimoney Regter confirmed that Luke had been admitted to False Bay Hospital.
Ocean View police chief Lieutenant Colonel Rewayne Muller said the driver of the Golf had been arrested and detained at the Ocean View police station.
Mr Cloete said he could not comment as he had been subpoenaed to testify in court.
Caro Smith, founder and director of South Africans Against Drunk Driving (Sadd), said drunk driving was a selfish crime that was often “underplayed”, and the victims were forgotten.
The UN Road Safety Collaboration, which includes the World Health Organization, now referred to drunk driving as “drink driving” as all alcohol impaired driving skills, she said.
According to Arrive Alive, drunk driving is one of the biggest threats to road safety in South Africa. Research indicates that half of the people who die on the country’s roads have a blood alcohol concentration above 0.05 grams per 100 millilitres putting them over the legal limit, which is below 0.05 grams.
According to SAPS, if it is determined that you have consumed more than the legal limit of alcohol, you will be arrested and charged with driving under the influence of liquor.
Subject to the circumstances, more charges could be added.
Depending on prior convictions against you, as well as the circumstances surrounding your arrest, you face a fine or a prison sentence, or both.
You may also lose your driver’s licence, or have it suspended and you will have a criminal record.
