A Pretoria mother of two who was struck by a taxi during the Soweto Marathon last month has died from her injuries. Dezirée du Plessis (45) was hit by a vehicle during the race on 29 November and underwent emergency surgery for an intracranial haemorrhage. She remained in a critical condition until her death in hospital on Friday.
Her sister, Marijke Miller, confirmed the news in a Facebook post. “Dezzi breathed her last breath this morning and completed her race. She fought to the end but went soft and peaceful,” she wrote.
In the weeks following the crash, supporters rallied behind Du Plessis and her family. ABackaBuddyfundraising campaign raised more than R330 000 toward her medical costs, while a fun run planned at Run-A-Way Sport in Pretoria is expected to go ahead this Saturday in her memory. The taxi driver who hit Du Plessis was arrested shortly after the collision.
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He had allegedly attempted to enter the marathon route after being stopped by metro police officers and is suspected of having been under the influence of alcohol. He faces charges of reckless and negligent driving.
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