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Boy, 4, in horror quad crash
13/11/2008 22:51 - (SA)
Virginia Keppler, Beeld
Pretoria - All the bones in a four-year-old boy's face have been shattered and his skull fractured after he drove into a brick wall with his quad bike at full speed.
Derik van Heerden jnr from Mountain View to the north of the city is in a serious condition in the Eugène Marais Hospital.
The accident happened on Tuesday afternoon in Ayres Street, five houses down the road from his parents' home. He was not wearing a crash helmet.
His mother, Debbie van Heerden, 27, said some of the bones which had been crushed pushed inwards through his sinuses, right up to his brain.
"The doctor said if it doesn't seal of its own accord within the next few weeks and if brain fluid doesn't stop draining, he will have to undergo a very serious operation.
"The doctors have already inserted a plate to cover the fracture in his skull."
Derik jnr did not injure his brain, back or neck.
Van Heerden said her husband, Inspector Derik van Heerden snr, 32, a policeman, recently bought himself a quad bike.
"Little Derik wants to do everything his dad does; he wants to be like his dad. He even wants to be a policeman.
"He cried and kept on nagging that we should buy him a bike too.
"On Tuesday my husband went and bought a 50cc quad bike at a small second-hand shop."
They would have gone riding at the stream near their home on Tuesday afternoon, but she still had work to do and told Derik jnr they couldn't go.
"He begged his father to show him outside in front of the house how the bike worked. My husband showed him how to start it and where everything was.
"He then started riding slowly down the road with my husband walking next to him. They were heading for my sister-in-law's house.
"I suspect that he, in his excitement, accidentally pressed the petrol button in deeper and the bike started to accelerate.
"My husband ran after him, but couldn't catch up."
"He shouted 'Daddy, help me!', but my husband couldn't get to him. I never thought a bike made for such small children could be so fast," Van Heerden said.
His aunt, Marcia Strauss, was in her house when she heard the scream. She ran outside and as she reached her gate, saw Derik hit the brick wall face on.
The Van Heerdens immediately jumped in their car and rushed their son to hospital.
"Whereas we have received more than 200 SMSes and calls from people who say they are praying for us, there are some who blame us.
"This morning someone said they had no sympathy for me and people should not pray for my child. They said people like me were shit," Van Heerden said.
"My husband and I are crying all the time. It was really an accident."
- Beeld
13/11/2008 22:51 - (SA)
Virginia Keppler, Beeld
Pretoria - All the bones in a four-year-old boy's face have been shattered and his skull fractured after he drove into a brick wall with his quad bike at full speed.
Derik van Heerden jnr from Mountain View to the north of the city is in a serious condition in the Eugène Marais Hospital.
The accident happened on Tuesday afternoon in Ayres Street, five houses down the road from his parents' home. He was not wearing a crash helmet.
His mother, Debbie van Heerden, 27, said some of the bones which had been crushed pushed inwards through his sinuses, right up to his brain.
"The doctor said if it doesn't seal of its own accord within the next few weeks and if brain fluid doesn't stop draining, he will have to undergo a very serious operation.
"The doctors have already inserted a plate to cover the fracture in his skull."
Derik jnr did not injure his brain, back or neck.
Van Heerden said her husband, Inspector Derik van Heerden snr, 32, a policeman, recently bought himself a quad bike.
"Little Derik wants to do everything his dad does; he wants to be like his dad. He even wants to be a policeman.
"He cried and kept on nagging that we should buy him a bike too.
"On Tuesday my husband went and bought a 50cc quad bike at a small second-hand shop."
They would have gone riding at the stream near their home on Tuesday afternoon, but she still had work to do and told Derik jnr they couldn't go.
"He begged his father to show him outside in front of the house how the bike worked. My husband showed him how to start it and where everything was.
"He then started riding slowly down the road with my husband walking next to him. They were heading for my sister-in-law's house.
"I suspect that he, in his excitement, accidentally pressed the petrol button in deeper and the bike started to accelerate.
"My husband ran after him, but couldn't catch up."
"He shouted 'Daddy, help me!', but my husband couldn't get to him. I never thought a bike made for such small children could be so fast," Van Heerden said.
His aunt, Marcia Strauss, was in her house when she heard the scream. She ran outside and as she reached her gate, saw Derik hit the brick wall face on.
The Van Heerdens immediately jumped in their car and rushed their son to hospital.
"Whereas we have received more than 200 SMSes and calls from people who say they are praying for us, there are some who blame us.
"This morning someone said they had no sympathy for me and people should not pray for my child. They said people like me were shit," Van Heerden said.
"My husband and I are crying all the time. It was really an accident."
- Beeld
