Devastating crash in Pinetown leaves family shattered

SUDHIR Sudhu says he has "big shoes to fit" as he takes care of his three-year-old daughter Zariah following the deaths of his wife and elder child in a car accident last Wednesday evening. The family of four was involved in a head-on collision on Richmond Road near Trafford Road, in Westmead, Pinetown. 

The Sudhus, of Mariannhill, were on their way to visit relatives in Wyebank when their vehicle and an oncoming bakkie collided at around 5.30pm during heavy rains. 

The crash claimed the life of five-year-old Cassidia, while her mother, Colleen, 35, succumbed to her injuries two days later in hospital.

“I will miss my wife and daughter for the rest of my life. I have some big shoes to fit. A father’s love is far less than a mother’s, but I will try every day to be there for my daughter. It is only her and I now," said Sudhu, 35, after being discharged from hospital.  

Colleen's dad, Ivan Soobramoney, 64, said the family were on their way to visit him because he had been feeling unwell that day. 

"My son-in-law, Sudhir, then called and told me they were in an accident. He was disoriented and could not explain himself well. Eventually, I understood they were somewhere in Pinetown, so my son and I rushed to the scene.”

He said what awaited him was unimaginable.

“Colleen and Sudhir were trapped in the car. I asked where the girls were and Colleen pointed to the ambulance. I looked inside and saw Zariah, but not Cassidia. When I asked the paramedics where she was, they pointed to the floor. Her body was there. My daughter was screaming from her own pain. It was terrible.”

Soobramoney described the traumatic decision not to immediately tell the couple about Cassidia’s death. 

“I lied and said they were both fine. As a father and grandfather, I did not know what else to do.”

He said the tragedy was especially painful, coming almost exactly 11 years after he lost his son Denver in a car accident on October 12, 2014.

“Now, three days after that anniversary, it has happened again. I could not believe it." 

Colleen was rushed to Westville Hospital and Sudhir to Entabeni. Despite Soobramoney’s pleas to keep them together, medical teams prioritised emergency care.

“Colleen was critical. She had a ruptured spleen, bruised liver, broken hips, fractured legs, and a crushed ankle. She underwent emergency surgery, but despite it being a success, she passed away early on Friday morning. I never got to say goodbye. She never knew her daughter had died." 

He said he had to break the news to his son-in-law, about his wife’s death. 

“I had to tell Sudhir that Colleen had died. We had a team of doctors with us when we told him that his wife had died. He was devastated. He lost both his wife and daughter in an accident that was not his fault." 

Sudhir fractured both his legs and had pins inserted from his hip to his knees. 

"He cannot walk and will need a caregiver for the next few months. Luckily, Zariah did not sustain any injuries. She only lost her front tooth." 

Sudhir said he tried to avoid the bakkie but there was no way. 

When the accident happened, Colleen and I were conscious. She said ‘Babe, the kids.’ We were only worried about our daughters. They are our whole world. We did not know that Cassidia had died. I was sitting in the car looking at my wife and kids, worried about how they are doing. 

“I called my father-in-law first because he is like a father to me. When my own parents died in 2021, my mom from Covid-19 and my dad after being hijacked, it was my wife and daughter who helped me through. Now they are gone.”

He described the anguish of breaking the news to his surviving daughter, three-year-old Zariah.

“Zariah knew her sister had died. She described the scene to me but did not know her mother died. I had to tell her. It was the worst day ever. She asked how we crashed. How do I say to a child that one irresponsible driver took away her mother and sister? We drive so carefully because of our children, but one careless person took away our family." 

The couple had been married for seven years and were business partners - running a plant hire and party decor company. 

He said his wife was "kind, loving and a great mother". 

"Cassidia was a loving, smart child who adored animals and her dogs. It is devastating to lose them both. When they died, I did not know how to react to the trauma.”

Now the focus shifts to his recovery and raising his surviving daughter.

The funeral of Colleen and Cassidia will take place today (Wednesday) in Wyebank.

The POST