Zuko Komisa
- Pretoria runner Dezirée du Plessis, 45, has died in hospital, succumbing to head injuries sustained after being struck by a taxi during the Soweto Marathon last month.
- The mother-of-two underwent emergency surgery for a brain bleed but was unable to recover, as confirmed by her sister on Friday morning.
- The taxi driver was arrested for reckless and negligent driving after allegedly ignoring police and accessing the race route while potentially under the influence of alcohol.
The running community is mourning the loss of Dezirée du Plessis, the 45-year-old Pretoria runner who tragically died in hospital this morning after being struck by a taxi during last month’s Soweto Marathon.
The mother-of-two was hit by a vehicle during the annual race on 29 November and immediately underwent emergency surgery for an intracranial haemorrhage (bleeding on the brain).
Despite the efforts of medical staff, Du Plessis was unable to recover from her critical injuries.
Her sister, Marijke Miller, confirmed the devastating news on Friday morning.
“Dezzi breathed her last breath this morning and completed her race. She fought to the end but went soft and peaceful,” Miller posted on Facebook.
While Du Plessis was in a critical condition, a successful BackaBuddy campaign had been launched, raising over R330,000 to help cover her medical expenses. Furthermore, a fund-raising fun run organised for Saturday at the Run-A-Way Sport store in Pretoria is still expected to go ahead, transforming into a memorial event for Du Plessis.
The driver of the taxi involved in the incident was previously arrested for reckless and negligent driving.
The driver was reportedly suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and is alleged to have ignored metro police officers who had denied him access to the marathon route.
READ NEXT: Teenager killed in apparent Diepkloof mob attack
The post Soweto Marathon runner dies in hospital a month after being struck by taxi on race route appeared first on KAYA 959.
