CAMPS BAY – The widow of Cape Town cyclist Landon la Grange says she is losing faith in the justice system as she continues to push for answers two weeks after his fatal crash in Camps Bay, with no arrest yet made in the case.
La Grange was with a group of about 20 cyclists when a minibus taxi overtook several vehicles and rammed into him as he approached a bend. No other cyclist was injured. La Grange had to be airlifted to the hospital. He died the next day, Tuesday, April 6, the day after he had his left leg amputated. His heartbroken widow, Annmarie, said he would be cremated on Wednesday.
Speaking to News24, the cyclist’s widow, Annmarie, said she last saw her “wonderful husband” the morning of his accident, when he had left their Durbanville home to collect a fellow cyclist for their scenic coffee run ride. She recalled walking along the Sea Point promenade when she was notified that her husband was involved in an accident. While rushing back to her vehicle, she was told to make her way to the hospital as he had been airlifted there.
What unfolded was a mountain of prayers for her husband, consultations with doctors and uncontrolled tears as she stood by her husband’s bedside, hoping for a miracle. “His injuries were just too severe,” said Annmarie, adding that he left the world without her getting to say her final goodbye. “I didn’t even get a chance to say farewell to the man I have known for over 30 years,” she added.
Annmarie said the pain of losing her husband was compounded by the growing frustration at the stalled police investigation. “I’m chasing them [the police] all the time,” she added, saying that the investigating detective had since gone on leave. “I feel like this is just another tactic – a delay tactic, a brushing-under-the-carpet kind of thing." She said a new investigating officer had since taken over and had recently advised her that “key paperwork” was still outstanding. “They’re still waiting for paperwork for the investigation. I was under the impression it was already done last week, but it’s just a chain of movement and delays. I’m just getting the runaround again, and it’s so frustrating,” an emotional Annmarie told News24.
Two weeks after her husband’s death, she visited the site of the crash. “When I saw the area where the accident took place, it brought back so many emotions,” she said. Annmarie is increasingly anxious that accountability may never follow. “I’m very, very angry,” she said. “I feel like they’re not going to arrest this taxi driver. I’m losing faith in the system.”
La Grange’s death has sparked concern among the cycling community about road safety and enforcement against reckless driving. Annmarie said: "The lawlessness is just crazy. Every day, someone is hurt – cyclists, pedestrians, motorists – and nothing happens.” "Breadwinners from townships are cycling to work to earn a living, but are ripped away by reckless motorists. And then next to nothing happens to them, but we as the family are left to pick up the pieces of broken hearts while trying to find our feet again.”
She described the devastating emotional toll on her family, revealing that they had already endured a tragic loss. “We lost our son a year ago. My family was five, it is now three,” Annmarie said, her voice breaking.
Annmarie believes there is sufficient evidence to arrest the taxi driver. “He was there, everyone saw him, so why can’t the police just arrest him? What is the holdup?” She said she was determined to pursue accountability, not only for her husband but for other families affected by road deaths. “I don’t want his death to be in vain; something has to change. Otherwise, it will just keep happening again and again.”
Describing her late husband of nearly 33 years, Annmarie added that he was a deeply positive and driven man who “lifted everyone he met”. “He never said a bad word about anyone; he was the kindest, most incredible human being. He made people believe they could do anything.” She said her family was holding onto her husband’s legacy. “Live like Landon,” she said, referring to a message written by one of their children’s friends. “We are trying to hold onto that. It’s the only way forward right now.”
