Kenyan marathon runner, Kelvin Kiptum, was killed in a car crash last week. At just 24 years old, he was the world record holder for marathons and was expected to soon break the 2-hour mark. While reports still need to be confirmed, it is believed he fell asleep at the wheel, killing himself, his coach and injuring another passenger.
The CEO of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, says South Africans can draw a lesson from the tragedy. “The situation in South Africa is no less dire. At least nine soccer players died in car crashes since 2014, three rugby players since 2000, five cricketers since 2010 as well as an Olympian athlete. An official record is not available but from what is available is almost 20 lives within two decades.
“Is there an epidemic of car crashes amongst sportspeople in South Africa or is it a worldwide trend? The National Collegiate Athletics Association in the USA says motor vehicle accidents (MVA) is a leading cause of sudden death across all their divisions….
