A Johannesburg man has made it his mission to help four young homeless youths who rescued him when he was trapped in his car after a collision last Friday.
Xavier Saet was driving home in his BMW X3 when a man skipped a red light and crashed into him at the corner of Jan Smuts Avenue and Chester Road in Randburg.
“He came from the side, I would say at about 60km/h to 80km/h when he crashed into me on the passenger side,” Saet told News24.
His car spun, overturned, and landed on its side on the opposite side of the road.
“I couldn’t get out of the car. I still had my seatbelt on, but couldn’t get any of the windows open.”
He believes the man who drove into him was drunk.
“The man never claimed responsibility and escaped with a tow truck,” Saet said.
He believes the man didn’t want to be caught drunk and fled the scene.
Saet believes the four homeless youths saved his life.
“After the accident these four young men came to my rescue.”
‘We can’t give up’
The four pushed his car back onto its wheels. He thinks they are aged between 16 and 18.
“I have no idea how they managed to do it. I mean, they were just four young guys. I heard them saying ‘we can’t give up. Push harder. We are almost there’.
“I bought them food on Monday, but it’s a difficult situation. A majority of the kids on the streets are drug addicts.”
He wants to sponsor them and make sure they have something to eat. His bigger aim is to get them off the streets.
They don’t have ID documents, which Saet says makes it difficult for shelters to take them in.
He will be holding a fundraiser for the four at his home on September 25.
He believes his vehicle will be written off since all of the airbags deployed and it would cost a lot to replace them.
Apart from the four men, another person came forward as a witness and two paramedics attended to him.
Saet escaped with only a set of bruised ribs. He expressed his happiness at having another chance.
“I feel grateful to be alive,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
“I feel grateful for the witnesses that came forward. I feel grateful for the homeless boys that turned my car back on its axles so I could get out. I’m grateful for Ariel the volunteer who came to my rescue within minutes. I’m grateful for Mark and Anne the paramedics. I’m grateful for my parents, who rushed to the scene. I’m grateful that I’m able to carry on living this gift, this opportunity to feel alive… This opportunity to be here and make a difference.”