A pregnant woman was allegedly run over by her partner in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday, January 5.
KZN VIP Protection Services said that its medics rushed to the scene of a pedestrian/vehicle incident on Ridge Road in uMhlanga, where a woman received significant injuries after allegedly being run over by her spouse, who was driving a Ford Ranger.
"Following the incident, the driver fled the scene as community members came forth to assist the lady who laid in the middle of the busy roadway," said the organisation.
KZNVIP Medics stabilised the patient before transporting her to a medical institution for further treatment.
The South African Police Service (SAPS), along with all other stakeholders, were in attendance.
It is not known whether the woman's unborn child has been affected by the accident, but it is a concern.
"Violence during pregnancy has negative effects for both the mother and the child. Abused women are more likely to delay getting pregnancy care and to attend fewer antenatal visits.
"The negative physical effects for mother and child can be low birth weight, foetal death by placenta abrupture, haemorrhage after the birth, foetal fracture, rupture of the uterus and premature labour," said the UCT's Perinatal Mental Health Project.
The institute went on to say that negative psychological impacts of such abuse include low self-esteem, sadness, anxiety, and substance/alcohol usage.
In a similar case, a pregnant worker was struck by car in the Durban CBD in May of 2021. The woman had been cleaning a road when she was struck by the vehicle.
Kyle van Reenen, spokesperson for Emer-G-Med KZN, said medics raced to the site and treated the woman for her injuries. He said that once the woman was stabilised at the site, she was sent to the hospital for additional medical attention.
IOL