The Salinah Reddy Story

Salinah Reddy’s ambition is to become an internationally acclaimed actress and a model. But the accident that happened to her early this month nearly shattered her dream.

She was run over by a car when a drunk driver swerved on to the pavement near her Chatsworth home and dragged her under the car for about 100 metres. Her pelvis was fractured and she sustained multiple wounds in almost every part of her body.

When the paramedics arrived on scene she was severely injured to an extent that they did not know where to start treating her as she was found pinned under the car which had to be lifted before she could be removed.

Doctors at the St. Augustine’s Hospital in Durban where Reddy spent eight days languishing in the intensive care unit, feared for the worse. The driver was arrested and released on R500 bail.

The incident prompted KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport S’bu Ndebele to write a letter to President Thabo Mbeki urging him that the incoming Ministers of Transport and Justice should work together to ensure that such traffic offences receive the attention they deserve. He said this would result in the judiciary moving away from discretionary to mandatory sentencing, particularly for traffic related offences.

Ndebele said that such incidents cost the province more than R2 billion per annum; an amount that could be used to build more roads and bridges for the citizens of this province.

However, when the department of transport team visited Reddy in the hospital this week the condition of the grade eight pupil from Apollo Secondary School had improved. She said she could not wait to be discharged from hospital and play volleyball and netball which are her favourite sports.

The sister in charge at the hospital said that although her condition had improved compared to the day when she was admitted, Reddy was still bed ridden as she still could not move. "She is being attended to by two doctors who have instructed us to do, among other things, dress her wounds after every two days, provide her with medication and monitor her temperature," said the nurse. She is also being seen by a physiotherapist everyday.

Her father Poobal thanked the Department of Transport, particularly Ndebele for the support he has given to the family since Reddy was admitted to hospital. He said the incident had brought a severe strain to the family since they did not expect such a tragedy. However, he said he was very excited to see that his daughter was recovering and that ever since she was admitted to hospital she had been very optimistic about her life.

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