Durban - A mother and daughter were left bruised and battered after a crash on the M19 that, according to the pair and witnesses, was caused by a reckless cyclist who, along with his team, “just rode off” afterwards. The safety of cyclists on our roads has been a hot topic, but it appears the roles were reversed in this instance. Sajheeda Ahmid, 53, and her daughter, 29-year-old Suyhayfa Arbee, had been driving on the M19 off-ramp, near Mountbatten Drive, Reservoir Hills, when the incident happened at lunch time on Monday. “We were in the extreme left lane,” Ahmid said. “A cyclist passed me, then I looked to see if it was clear on my side, and the next thing I knew he was cycling into my lane.” The audibly shaken woman said if she had hit the brakes, the car behind her would have smashed into her. Instead she swerved to avoid the cyclist. The car skidded across the freeway and “somersaulted”, and eventually landed in a nearby ditch, coming to rest on its side. The cyclist and his two teammates did stop, Ahmid said, but only briefly. “Then they cycled off.” Ahmid and Arbee were still in hospital on Thursday morning. “My daughter sprained her arm and has been suffering with stomach and head pains and I have whiplash in my arm and neck,” Ahmid said. Yusuf Moolla, who witnessed the crash, said the pair were lucky they were not killed. Police spokesman, Major Thulani Zwane, confirmed the incident. “A motorist allegedly lost control of her vehicle and crashed on the M19 highway. The driver and the passenger were taken to hospital,” he said. Sydenham police were investigating the incident. Earlier this year, the deaths of popular cyclists, Richard da Silva, 46, of Glen Anil, and Jaryd Dwyer, 36, of Glenwood, outraged the cycling community. Da Silva and Dwyer were out on an early morning ride when they were killed in a crash on the M4. And three years ago, world-renowned cyclist Burry Stander was struck by a vehicle on the South Coast while cycling. After this year’s incident, the head of events, safety and security of Cycling SA, Craig Proctor-Parker, told the Daily News that the eThekwini Municipality needed to meet sports governing bodies to find ways to improve the safety of all athletes. He said runners and cyclists were also soft targets for criminals and this needed to be addressed before the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Daily News
