Healthy grandfather left to die while waiting for critical care after being struck by a police van

A Grandfather, who was knocked down by a police vehicleand  waited nearly 10 hours for an ambulance, eventually succumbed to his injuries while also waiting for a CT Scan at Groote Schuur Hospital.

The family of 78-year-old Lionel Wyngaard said they were left traumatised and abandoned as they desperately tried to secure help for their critically injured father on their own and said he could have survived had he received the critical medical attention in time

Originally from Simon's Town and residing in Seawinds, Lionel was well known in the community as a skilled carpenter and devoted grandfather.

Speaking to the Weekend Argus, Lionel’s daughter, Melissa Wyngaard, recounted the heartbreaking hours after her father was struck by a vehicle while walking along Prince George Drive on Monday, May 18.

Melissa said she was at home with her partner and sister when someone arrived to alert them that her father was sitting on the pavement alongside the road, covered in blood.

“At first we thought maybe my dad had been robbed or something,” she said.

“As we approached the scene, we saw police vehicles, a fire truck and medics. My dad was sitting there being treated by paramedics. Bystanders told us he had been knocked over close to a pedestrian crossing.”

According to witnesses, Lionel had been crossing near the pedestrian crossing while the robot was green for pedestrians and red for motorists.

Melissa alleges the SAPS vehicle turned into a lane from the wrong side of the road a turn she claims motorists are not permitted to make before hitting her father with such force that he was flung onto the pavement.

“My dad hit his head very hard,” she said. Distraught and desperate for answers, Melissa approached police officers on the scene to find out who had knocked down her father.

“I was obviously upset. Nobody could answer me or take accountability.”

She said paramedics later asked whether the family could transport Lionel themselves while waiting for an ambulance equipped to handle severe trauma cases.

In shock and fearing for Lionel’s life, the family scrambled to find transport themselves while trying to comfort him.

A neighbour eventually agreed to assist and drove Lionel to Retreat Community Health Centre while emergency personnel escorted them there.

Melissa said once at the hospital, the family was largely left to cope on their own while Lionel’s condition visibly deteriorated over several hours.

“I started cleaning my dad because blood was coming from his nose, eyes and mouth,” she said.

“They brought me pain medication and told me I must administer it, but he refused because he couldn’t open his mouth properly.”

Doctors later stitched injuries to his forehead, eye and lip, but Melissa said the bleeding continued while Lionel made gurgling sounds as the hours passed.

“Both his eyes started turning blue and purple. We tried to keep him awake, asking him questions. He thought he was at home in his bed. He didn’t know what happened.”

The family said they only realised the seriousness of his injuries hours later when they were informed he had suffered a cranial injury and urgently needed a CT scan at either Victoria Hospital or Groote Schuur Hospital.

Melissa said despite her father’s worsening condition and visible head injuries, the family endured an agonising wait of nearly 10 hours for an ambulance.

“The whole time we were desperate. We were phoning around looking for help and even trying to get our own ambulance,” she said.“At one point they told us we could take him at our own risk.

We had already lost our mother during Covid after having to make hospital decisions for her, and now we were being put in that position again.”

The family described feeling helpless and unsupported as they were forced to search for solutions themselves while Lionel drifted in and out of confusion.

“There was no guidance. Nobody sat us down. Nobody helped us find alternatives. We were just left there watching my dad get worse and worse,” Melissa said.

She believes her father may still have survived had he received faster emergency intervention and specialist care for his head injuries.

“If he got the critical attention he needed faster, I honestly believe my daddy would still be alive today,” she said.

An ambulance eventually arrived around 9.45pm and Lionel was transported to Groote Schuur Hospital shortly thereafter.

Melissa’s sister, Candice Julies, said the last time she saw her father alive was shortly before he was taken for the CT scan.

“He got up to use the pan to pee, climbed back into bed and tucked himself in,” she said.“A doctor later came to speak to us. Two minutes after the CT scan, he passed away.”

The grieving daughters described their father as healthy, active and deeply respected in the community.“This was his first actual visit to a day hospital,” Melissa said.

“My dad never smoked, drank or anything. He was healthy, fit as a fiddle.”

Lionel had reportedly been walking to a friend to hang a door when the incident occurred.

“It’s unfair. We never expected him to go like this. Maybe from old age one day, but not because of an accident.”

Responding to queries from the Weekend Argus, Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness spokesperson Shimoney Regter said the department extended its condolences to the family and loved ones of Lionel.

Regter said Lionel was brought to Retreat Community Health Centre at approximately 1.10pm on May 18 following a reported pedestrian vehicle incident.

“He was promptly triaged and assessed, and ongoing clinical care, including monitoring and treatment, was provided while arrangements were made for his transfer to a higher level of care,” Regter said.

“A transfer was requested from Emergency Medical Services (EMS). While awaiting transport, Mr Wyngaard remained under continuous clinical observation and received appropriate care in line with his presenting condition.”

Regter added that Lionel was later transferred to Groote Schuur Hospital, where he was admitted and managed by the clinical team.“Sadly, despite these efforts, Mr Wyngaard passed away in the early hours of 19 May 2026,” Regter said.

“The Department acknowledges the family’s concerns and we remain committed to providing safe, quality care to all patients and to continuously strengthening our emergency response systems.”

She added that, given the circumstances surrounding the incident and the nature of Lionel’s injuries, the matter had been referred for a medico-legal post-mortem examination as part of standard procedure.

Meanwhile, SAPS spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed that Steenberg police had opened a culpable homicide case following the incident.

“Steenberg police registered a culpable homicide case for investigation following an accident on Monday, 18 May 2026, at about 12:00, in Prince George Drive, involving an adult male and a police vehicle,” said Twigg.

“The injured victim was transported to a medical facility for treatment where he later died due to injuries sustained. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation and no arrests have been made.”

Twigg appealed to anyone with information regarding the incident to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or make use of the MySAPS mobile application anonymously.

The family says they still feel abandoned by authorities, alleging there was little guidance or emotional support provided by either police or hospital staff during the ordeal.

“I even went to the police station afterwards and they told me I couldn’t open a case because the state would handle it,” Melissa said.

She said no senior police official approached the family at the scene while they tried to process what had happened.

“The captain who was there never even came to speak to us.”

Melissa believes the incident should be treated as more than culpable homicide.

“To me this is murder. The robot was red and the driver went the wrong way to get out of traffic and knocked my dad while he had the green light to walk.”

She said Lionel’s death has devastated the family, particularly his grandchildren who are currently writing exams.

“They miss their grandpa terribly. His death is breaking us.“We just want answers, justice and peace for my dad’s soul. He was failed by the state twice.”

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