Cyclist Laura Blake died from injuries she sustained in a crash on Tokai Road. Nearly three weeks later, the Pedal Power Association (PPA) says the investigation must lead to serious consequences.
Crash on Tokai road
The 51-year-old Constantia resident rode with friends on Wednesday 12 August. A vehicle struck her from behind just before the Blue Route Mall parking entrance. The group had set off from the Bootlegger Coffee Company in Tokai. They had travelled less than 2 km. The crash occurred at about 05:40.
Blake suffered a shattered pelvis, a broken elbow, fractures to vertebrae in her neck and six broken ribs. Doctors admitted her to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Tokai Melomed Hospital in a critical condition. She remained in a coma on ventilator support.
Despite medical intervention, she died on Saturday 5 September from complications of her injuries. Her husband, Gary Pomario, had been providing the PPA with updates on her condition.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has escalated its investigation from reckless and negligent driving to culpable homicide. Police had made no arrest since the PPA issued its statement on 8 September.
“There needs to be serious consequences for the ever-increasing unlawful actions on our roads throughout South Africa,” said PPA CEO Neil Robinson.
Two earlier deaths
Blake was the third Cape Town cyclist to die on the city’s roads in less than a year. All three cases involved Victoria Road on the Atlantic seaboard or its surrounding routes.
On 16 December 2025, Idries Sheriff (41) rode alone on Victoria Road, near Glen Beach. A BMW struck him head-on. The driver allegedly lost control and crossed into the oncoming lane.
Police charged the driver, Bongani Mthethwa (27), with culpable homicide, reckless and negligent driving, and driving under the influence. Mthethwa posted R15 000 bail. His case returns to the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court in October.
Four months later, on 6 April 2026, Landon le Grange (61) rode with about 20 cyclists in Victoria Road. A minibus taxi struck him between Camps Bay and Bakoven. A helicopter airlifted him to hospital. Doctors amputated his leg, and he died the following day.
Police charged the suspect, Siyabonga Myabalala, with culpable homicide on 21 May. The court has postponed his case several times. It is due back in court on 13 October.
Both October court dates fall within weeks of each other. Neither has yet heard evidence.
Calls for enforcement
The PPA said after Le Grange’s death the crash was not an isolated tragedy. It was part of a national pattern of predictable, preventable harm.
The PPA noted the Western Cape’s one-metre passing law has never led to a successful prosecution. The province promulgated the law in 2013. It requires motorists to leave at least 1 m when overtaking cyclists.
“The one-metre law exists on paper, but without a single prosecution, so it offers no real protection.”
RoadCover, a Road Accident Fund claims-management service, reported in June it had handled 27 cases of cyclists. These cyclists sustained serious injuries or died on South African roads since January.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation reported cyclists accounted for 0,8% of all road fatalities in the first quarter of 2025.
The PPA has repeated its appeal to all road users to exercise caution and remain vigilant. It called on them to share the roads safely to prevent further loss of life.
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