Roxanne Bawden, 52, was running on the corner of Waterkant Road and Helms Park between 6.15am and 6.30am when she was struck by a car
A Durban North woman is still fighting for her life after being hit by an allegedly drunk driver while out jogging on Saturday morning.
Roxanne Bawden, 52, was running on the corner of Waterkant Road and Helm’s Park between 6.15am and 6.30am when she was struck by a car. When the vehicle eventually came to rest, it pinned her up against a wall.
Gathered at a small coffee-table in Umhlanga Hospital’s reception area, her friends told of the countless messages of support they had received when the news of Bawden’s accident had broken.
Bawden, who was still in ICU, was a member of Regent Harriers – an informal running group in the Durban North area – and was well liked by all the runners who knew her, they said.
“We are devastated. We are all very close; it is like it has happened to a member of our family,” said one of them, Sandy Joubert.
“We call her bossy Roxy,” she said, laughing. “She would decide when and where we would be running.”
On Saturday, however, Bawden messaged Debbie Fouche, another friend and runner, to say that she would not be joining them that morning.
“She messaged at five to five and told me she would be running a shorter distance by herself, as she had a cough.”
Bawden’s alternative route would then become the scene of the devastating accident.
“She’s the runner who will encourage you if you were stuck at the bottom of a hill, said Fouche, emphasising the kind and caring nature that Bawden possessed.
“We have run seven Comrades together. Next year was going to be her 10th consecutive Comrades.”
The driver alleged to have crashed into Bawden is a 20-year-old man, who was arrested for reckless and negligent driving and for driving under the influence of alcohol, according to police spokesman Jay Naicker.
Joubert said that all the runners in their group were vigilant about cars, and that they always wore reflective and high-visibility clothing.
“She [Bawden] is a seasoned runner and is well aware of the rules of the road,” said Joubert.
It was less than two years ago that a similar accident happened in Oudtshoorn, when Sanet Wentzel was hit by a drunk driver while out running early on a Saturday morning. Wentzel, however, was declared dead at the scene.
In memory of the runner, the Wentzel Memorial Wo-men’s Day Challenge is run in August each year.
