They were brothers. bosom friends Inseparable.
Now a car accident has claimed the life of 22-year-old Nicky Pretorius, while his younger brother, Michael (21), is still fighting for his life in hospital.
Both are former students of Hoërskool Driehoek in Vanderbijlpark.
Their father, also Nicky, says his eldest son died on Thursday in a hospital in Sasolburg in the Free State after he and Michael were involved in an accident on the R57 the night before.
Michael is still in a critical condition in the hospital. He was connected to life support machines in the intensive care unit of the Pelonomi Hospital in Bloemfontein after experiencing a setback on Friday.
Both of his legs were broken during the accident and there is a possibility that his left foot will have to be amputated.
The brothers were on their way from a restaurant in Sasolburg to their home in Vaalpark last Wednesday when they collided with a tree along the R57 just before 10:00 p.m. Michael was behind the wheel. However, the exact details surrounding the accident are still unclear.
Nicky jr. suffered, among other things, serious head injuries and was already placed on life support machines at the scene of the accident. He was declared brain dead the next morning at the Metsimaholo District Hospital in Sasolburg.
Michael was initially trapped in the wreckage of the car and had to be cut free with the help of hydraulic equipment.
After the accident, he was admitted to the Metsimaholo district hospital along with his brother before he was later transferred to a hospital in Kroonstad and then to Bloemfontein.
“They were like twins. Inseparable,” says their father about his beloved sons.
The late Nicky worked as a manager at The Bar with No Name in Sasolburg before his death.
“Nicky was a gentle, hardworking, loving, family and friends person. He was spontaneous and had a passion for animals and business,” says Nicky snr.
Michael is the manager of Nuthouse in Sasolburg. “He is a spontaneous and hard-working family man. He is very popular among his friends and loves his fellow man very much.”
