A 15-year-old girl from Bishop Lavis is fighting for her life in Tygerberg Hospital after a man allegedly threw a brick into the vehicle she was travelling in. It’s alleged that the brick was not meant to hit her, but a woman with whom the unknown man was arguing with.
Robin November’s life took a turn for the worst on Saturday 28 April when she was on her way to Elsies River with her father, Errol, and her friends. They were driving over the bridge along 35th Avenue, opposite Malawi Camp, when the incident took place.
Robin’s sister, Tracey, told TygerBurger everything happened unexpectedly. Robin was rushed to Elsies River Day hospital after the tragic accident and then transferred to Tygerberg Hospital.
“My sister was in a coma, but thankfully she is out of it. Robin is in the intensive care unit (ICU) now, on life support. It is her sixth day in hospital. I still can’t believe that this happened to her. The doctors are not giving us any hope because of the extent of brain damage she has. I am not ready to lose my sister,” says the 22-year-old.
Recalling the day of the incident, Tracey says it happened while they were driving over the bridge. “Robin gets car sick, so she always has a window open in the car. There was a couple fighting in the road. The woman was apparently holding onto this man, but when she lost her grip on him he grabbed a brick and intended to throw it at her.
“This same brick then came through the open window at which my sister was sitting. No one in the car realised that Robin was hit. My father thought the brick hit the car because of the loud bang. They rushed her to hospital immediately,” Tracey explains.
Elsies River police spokesperson Daphne O’Reilly confirmed that a case of attempted murder has been opened for investigation: “As they approached Ottosdal Court on 35th Avenue, they [passengers in the car] noticed a female and male on the side of the road fighting with one another. The male picked up a brick and threw it at the female, but the brick missed her and entered the vehicle through the side window, hitting the 15-year-old female on the head. The victim was rushed to hospital and is currently in ICU with a head injury and a broken nose.”
Anyone with information that can assist in the investigation or anyone who might have witnessed this incident can contact Warrant Officer Andre Arendse at Elsies River SAPS on 021 928 1400 or community members can contact Crime Stop at 0860 0010 111.
