A second pupil from Eric Louw High School in Musina has died, following the horror crash last Thursday afternoon involving the school’s first girls hockey team.

The 16-year-old Zanelle Breedt died during the early hours of Tuesday morning, 3 April. She sustained severe head injuries during the crash and never regained consciousness. Fellow teammate Isabel du Plessis (17), was airlifted by medical helicopter shortly after the accident, but passed away en route to the hospital.

Zanelle and Isabel, together with fellow teammates from the school’s first girls hockey team and teachers Ms Carita Vorster and Ms Lerina Opperman, were on their way to Groblersdal for a hockey clinic. The pupils were travelling in two of the school’s minibuses and a sedan.

According to information available, the accident occurred at about 15:30 when the bus in which the girls were travelling overtook a slow-moving vehicle on the Lebowakgomo road some 50km from Polokwane. When they were right next to the slow-moving vehicle, it apparently drifted over to their side of the road. In an effort to avoid a crash, the teacher driving the minibus, Ms Vorster, swerved, with the vehicle hitting an embankment next to the road. The minibus was thrown back onto the road, spinning out of control and capsizing. All but three passengers of the minibus were apparently flung from the vehicle.

At the time of going to press, another two of Zanelle and Isabel’s teammates, Anandie Oosthuizen (17) and Rona-Lee Johansen (18), were still being treated in the Medi-Clinic in Polokwane. Both Anandie and Rona-Lee were left paralyzed after the accident, due to severe neck and back injuries.

Shortly after the accident, Anandie had to undergo a seven-hour operation to remove and replace a neck vertebra. Rona-Lee Johansen also sustained serious injuries from her fifth to her 11th spinal vertebrae.

According to family members, both Anandie and Rona-Lee are showing remarkable signs of recovery, although they are still paralyzed. The two are sharing a room at the Medi-Clinic. Rona-Lee’s mother, Ms Nelie Carstens, said on Tuesday that her daughter was scheduled for another operation that afternoon to repair her broken right arm.

“We are waiting for the swelling in her back to subside. The vertebra that pinned her spinal cord has relaxed and fortunately her spinal cord was not damaged,” Carstens said. She added that her daughter also showed signs that the feeling in her lower body was returning.

“These are all very positive signs,”  said Carstens.

Anandie and Rona-Lee were scheduled to be transferred to the Muelmed Hospital in Pretoria for further specialist treatment. Vorster and Opperman, together with three other girls, Clara Beckman, Siniciwe Ncube and Modeline Sitauze, have since been discharged from hospital, following the accident.

In the meantime, the school has started a support fund for the injured children to help pay for their medical expenses.  All contributions are welcomed. The account is in the name of Eric Louw High School, at ABSA Bank, with cheque account number 2050390058. The reference is “Ongeluksfonds”.

A memorial service for the 17-year-old Isabel took place at the Hervormde Kerk in Musina on Wednesday. No details with regard to Zanelle’s funeral were available at the time of going to press.