David Hanton, the well-known owner of Grahamstown business IT Solutions, was hit and killed late yesterday afternoon by a car driven by a soldier from the local army base.
David Hanton, the well-known owner of Grahamstown business IT Solutions, was hit and killed late yesterday afternoon by a car driven by a soldier from the local army base.
Dave and a running partner, Johan, were running towards the Grahamstown Golf Club, facing the oncoming traffic, when the sedan driven by the soldier approached from the army base, overtook and hit Dave on the other side of the road, throwing him into the air.
David, 44, was hit from behind and died quickly from internal injuries.
Damage to the vehicle was to a low-down fender on the driver’s side (a piece was broken off) and a body or head-shaped impression was smashed into the driver’s windscreen.
Colin Meyer arrived first and then I got there in time to see David being taken away.
Police on the scene said the driver had first tried to run away and that there was a problem trying to find out who was driving.
However, the on-scene investigation was immediate, looked thorough and was conducted by Captain Riaan Havenga.
David and Johan, his close training and racing partner and friend for some years, were doing the last stretch of training ahead of next month’s Ironman – mostly barefoot.
David was married to Sarah and they have two children.
David was our friend. In recent years he’d picked himself up from a sodden patch in his life and had become a super-fit, top local athlete. Despite being totally driven –- which he loved — he was also an extremely compassionate and kind person to his friends. He said (among his many sayings), that “not a day has passed when I have not enjoyed training”.
His passing leaves a gap in the lives of his friends and the many people he came to know in the city and area.
In fact, he was an extraordinary person, who lived an epic life.
We will all have many stories to tell and right now his death seems to be the result of a totally pointless act.
My thoughts are with Sarah and the children.
Mike Loewe is the owner of Makana Moon and a correspondent for Algoa FM.
