Teen stabbed after hit and run

After being struck in a hit and run incident in Polokwane (Pietersburg), a teen was allegedly stabbed with a knife while he lay unconscious next to the road.

Justin Bates (16) was recovering this past week at his mother Sanet's home in Boksburg. Approximately 40 stitches to the wound of 22cm on his torso was removed on Thursday.

According to his doctor, the wound was caused by a knife and not as a result of the car impact.

Two weeks ago, Justin and four friends were walking in small groups at about 1:00am Saturday morning in a backstreet in Polokwane.

A silver Fiat Uno struck Annatjie Veldman (20) and Trevor Nyce (18). Veldman's leg was broken in three places and Nyce was also injured. Another friend, Frans Faber, sustained a neck injury when the car hit him as well.

"I think it was just after the car had hit Annatjie and Trevor that I looked around and saw the car's headlights," said Justin.

The Uno then struck him and he landed on the car's hood where he clung to. "I made eye contact with the driver".

Justin realised the Uno was not going to stop. About a block away he jumped off but he struck his head against the pavement and lost consciousness.

His friends did not realise that he had been hit and laid unconscious a block away. A woman driving by saw Justin in a pool of blood and raced him to the hospital.

"I recovered consciousness in the car. My belly was burning a lot," recalls Justin.

Besides the knife wound, Justin also had grazes to his arms, legs and back and a wound to his head.

"Justin laid there at least five minutes before the woman saw him. One of the kids that had not been hit had run off to look for help," said Mrs Bates.

She and her son suspect the Uno stopped and one of the occupants stabbed him because Justin had seen his face.

Since the incident, Mrs Bates has been arguing with the police not to treat it as just a hit and run accident but also as an attempted murder.

Supt. Ronel Otto, police spokesperson in Limpopo said a police official had been appointed to investigate the case.