Nearly a month after 78-year-old Lionel Alexander Wyngaard was fatally injured in a collision involving a SAPS vehicle, his family says they are still waiting for answers about the circumstances surrounding his death.
Wyngaard was struck by a SAPS vehicle while crossing a pedestrian crossing on Prince George Drive in Cape Town on 18 May. His daughter, Melissa Wyngaard, alleges that police officers at the scene failed to identify the driver, provide information about the incident or offer assistance to the family.
“My dad was crossing when the pedestrian light was green and the traffic light was red for vehicles. The police vehicle came out of a side road and knocked him down on the pedestrian crossing,” she said.
The family also claims they waited for hours for an ambulance to transfer Wyngaard from Retreat Day Hospital to Groote Schuur Hospital after he sustained serious head injuries.
“We waited from just after 12 o’clock for an ambulance, and it only arrived at quarter to ten that evening. Two minutes after coming out of the CT scan, my dad passed away,” Melissa said.
She said one of the family’s biggest concerns is the lack of communication from those involved in the incident.
“Why hasn’t anybody come forward? Nobody offered assistance, nobody checked on us, and to this day, we have not received an apology or any explanation,” she said.
According to the family, they were later able to identify the officer involved through an accident report but claim the officer remains on duty while they await further legal processes.
SAPS spokesperson Wesley Twigg confirmed that Steenberg police have opened a culpable homicide case.
“Steenberg police registered a culpable homicide case for investigation following an accident on Monday, 18 May 2026, involving an adult male and a police vehicle. The injured victim was transported to a medical facility for treatment, where he later died from injuries sustained in the incident. The circumstances surrounding the accident are under investigation, and no arrests have been made,” said Twigg.
“The disciplinary process in relation to the matter is currently under way,” he added.
The Wyngaard family says they hope the investigation will provide accountability and clarity about the events that led to the pensioner’s death.
Photo: Supplied
