Cape Town – While the driver of a BMW M3 lost his legs after crashing at 320km/h, his passenger survived the alleged illegal street race on the N1 with only a cut to his finger.
Provincial health department spokesperson Mark van der Heever has confirmed paramedics had attended to the passenger before he was transported to New Somerset Hospital for further treatment, News24 reported.
The 24-year-old passenger was treated by Metro emergency medical services at the accident scene. Initial reports had made no mention of a passenger in the BMW that crashed into the centre median on the N1 near the Sable Road turnoff at Century City in the early hours last week Monday.
The 26-year-old businessman Taufiq Carr from Mitchells Plain, however, was treated at the scene by ER24 paramedics for critical injuries to his head and legs. The married father-of-two was taken to Vincent Palotti Hospital, where his legs were amputated.
A photo of a smiling Carr, sitting in his hospital bed, has been circulating on social media.
New footage of the crashed BMW on the N1 in Cape Town also emerged on social media this week, together with photos of the immediate aftermath of the crash, where a bystander assists Carr.
A video taken from the passenger side of the car on the night of the crash shows the BMW speeding alongside a second car, a white BMW. A few seconds into the video a motorbike comes speeding through between the two cars.
The man behind the recording can be heard saying: "And again, and again, and again, and again and again."
The second car starts closing the gap when the video starts shaking and a man is heard saying, "Hey".
Sparks appear on the screen before the video ends. Mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith said in a video after the crash someone was heard asking for "Imraan".
"If there was a guy called Imraan in that car, he escaped that accident miraculously. I am sure he has used all his nine lives," Smith told TimesLIVE.
Smith said the fact that the person behind the recording had left the scene would save him from being criminally prosecuted.
"I hoped he has learnt his lesson and would not go back to his foolish and reckless ways."
Despite the horrific crash, Smith said a few nights later petrolheads were back racing on the freeway.
Western Cape police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk said earlier this week that a criminal case of reckless and negligent driving was registered.