Charlene Drotsky (34), a stay-at-home mom from Klerksdorp, North West, was involved in a hit-and-run accident on 2 April 2022, while on holiday with her fiancé, Corné Viljoen (39) in Malmesbury, Cape Town.
After spending a night out with friends, a man with a bakkie offered to give Charlene and her friends a lift home. Charlene, who was the last one to be dropped off that night, could never have imagined what would happen next.
When Charlene arrived at her destination and tried to exit the vehicle, the driver reversed unexpectedly, trapping Charlene’s left leg under the front wheel of the vehicle.
Instead of stopping to help Charlene, who cried out in pain, the panicked driver tried to make his escape, driving over Charlene’s waist with the front and back tyre of his vehicle, before leaving her in severe pain on the road.
Charlene Drotsky before the accident
Hearing the commotion outside, Corné rushed to Charlene’s side and phoned emergency services. The driver had already vanished.
Speaking to News24, Corné said:
“When I saw what has happened to my fiancé, I thought it was over for her. I saw her getting pulled in under a bakkie, I saw her getting dragged into the road. I can still hear her screaming for help as I tried my best to fight the driver to switch off his bakkie, but I was too weak,”
“I managed to run a few metres away from the vehicle towards her as I thought he drove over her head. I remember I started shouting and screaming at God, asking him to please not let my fiancé die,”
Multiple Injuries
After her ordeal, Charlene was treated for critical injuries at Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town.
She sustained multiple injuries including a broken scapula, pelvis and several broken ribs. She also suffered internal bleeding that resulted in her contracting septicemia and had bleeding on her lungs that needed to be drained. Due to the damage to Charlene’s pelvis, she also lost the function of her left leg.
“Charlene is a wonderful mother and a kind-hearted person who didn’t deserve to be discarded the way she was. This incident has devastated our family, especially Charlene’s two boys, Cayden (13) and Calden (9), who weren’t convinced that she survived the ordeal. They don’t understand what has happened and cry daily for her to come home” – says Charlene’s sister, Marcelle
Update:
On Friday, 19 August 2022, after almost 5 months in hospital, Charlene sadly succumbed to her injuries after her hit-and-run accident.
After days of struggling with her protein levels and getting Refeeding syndrome, Charlene’s condition turned critical. Her blood pressure skyrocketed, her breathing became short and fast, she struggled to recognise loved ones, and then finally her organs began to fail.
Our hearts go out to Charlene’s husband Corné, their two boys Cayden and Calden, her sister Marcelle, as well as everyone who knew and loved Charlene.
“Charlene faught so hard for so long. She was a real warrior. My heart is shattered. I didn’t just lose my sister, I lost my mom and my best friend too. She’s was everything to me. She took me in when we lost our mom. I don’t know how I’ll cope but I will keep strong for her kids and I promised her I will always love then as they were my own” -says Marcelle
Crowdfunding on BackaBuddy
In April 2022, Marcelle, Charlene’s sister launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy, that raised over R50 000 through kind contributions from over 42 donors, which became a lifeboat for the family, who struggled to cover Charlene’s extensive medical costs as she didn’t have medical aid.
“The most difficult thing is feeling hopeless and helpless when someone you love is struggling or in pain. We couldn’t be more thankful for the love and support we were shown after Charlene’s horrific ordeal” – says Marcelle
If anyone would like to support Charlene’s family as they come to terms with their insurmountable loss, any additional funds raised, will be used to help cover the cost of Charlene’s funeral and support her family with anything they may need during this painful time.
Support Charlene on BackaBuddy:
https://www.backabuddy.co.za/charlene-drotsky
Alternatively, donate via Snapscan:
https://pos.snapscan.io/qr/CharleneDrotsky
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