No further recovery for Ferreira

Thomas Ferreira will not recover any further following the accident in which blue light driver Joseph Motsamai Semitjie knocked him off his motorbike, The Krugersdorp Magistrate's Court heard on Monday.

"There will be no further meaningful recovery," neurologist Dr Desmond Shamley told the court.

"From clinical experience and neurological literature, the brain has a limited period to recover."

Semitjie, the former driver of then Gauteng housing MEC Humphrey Mmemezi, was convicted on December 3 of reckless and negligent driving.

He was driving Mmemezi to a meeting when he crashed into Ferreira in November 2011.

Ferreira, who was 18 years old at the time, suffered head injuries and was comatose for weeks.

During the trial, the court heard that Semitjie was driving on the left side of the yellow line, had not switched on his siren, and had jumped a red traffic light.

Shamley told the court he had seen Ferreira five times since the accident.

He said in his opinion, Ferreira would struggle to find a job or be able to live on his own.

"My opinion is that he will have difficulty in finding employment due to the nature of the head injury. I do not believe he will be able to live on his own. I have been in discussion with his mother to put him in a place of sheltered employment," said Shamley.

Asked if Ferreira would be able to be in a relationship, Shamley said it would be difficult to predict.

"It is a difficult one to answer because he is impulsive and has mood swings. The question is will a girlfriend be able to handle him? He might have a girlfriend but it might not be long-term," said Shamley.

 

 

(File photo: Gallo Images)