Nearly a month after a devastating crash left 22-year-old Kannan Lorenzo Naidoo fighting for his life, his family says they are still searching for justice while praying for his recovery.

Naidoo, from Phoenix, sustained a severe brain injury after a single-vehicle crash along Umhlanga Rocks Drive near Ashley Crescent during the early hours of Sunday, June 7.

According to KZN VIP Medical and Rescue, emergency services responded to reports of the collision and found a light motor vehicle that had sustained extensive damage.

Three occupants had suffered serious injuries, with one patient found partially trapped inside the wreckage. Paramedics immediately initiated advanced life support treatment while carefully extricating the trapped patient from the vehicle.

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All three patients were stabilised at the scene before being transported to nearby medical facilities for further assessment and treatment. One patient remained in a critical condition.

The exact circumstances that led to the crash remain under investigation. Speaking to the Rising Sun, Kannan’s eldest sister, Deveshnee, said the family is unable to discuss the precise events leading up to the collision because of the ongoing police investigation.

“What happened that night is now part of the investigation, so we cannot go into those details,” she said. She confirmed that Kannan, who is a primary breadwinner for their mum, had been travelling as a rear-seat passenger in the vehicle.

“There were four people in the vehicle altogether – the driver, a female passenger in the front seat, my brother seated behind her and another young man sitting next to him in the back. My brother really took the worst of it. He was admitted to ICU in a very critical condition,” she stated.

She said Kannan suffered a severe brain injury and remains unable to communicate due to him being in a coma.

“He has a very severe brain injury. He is not talking at the moment, and he cannot see us. Every day, we continue praying for his recovery,” she continued.

The emotional toll on the family has been immense, she said, with every hospital visit serving as a painful reminder of how dramatically their lives have changed.

“It has been a very traumatising time for us as a family,” she added. According to Deveshnee, the family’s ordeal extended beyond the accident itself.

She alleged that the driver fled the scene of the crash because he did not possess a valid driver’s licence.

Nearly three weeks later, she claimed, the driver arrived at the family’s Phoenix home accompanied by his mother and uncle while Kannan remained hospitalised.

According to Deveshnee, the trio pleaded with the family not to pursue a criminal case. “They came to our house asking us not to open a case,” she alleged.

Deveshnee said the family immediately contacted police after the visit. She further alleged that, following delays in obtaining assistance, officers eventually arrived at the residence and arrested the driver.

The family also claims they encountered numerous challenges while trying to obtain information about the investigation.

According to Deveshnee, relatives visited the police station shortly after the crash hoping to establish whether the accident had been officially reported and to obtain basic information about the investigation.

“We weren’t there for insurance or anything like that. We simply wanted to know whether the driver had reported the accident and what was happening with the case,” she continued. Instead, she alleges they were repeatedly referred from one person to another without receiving clear answers.

“We felt like we were being pushed from pillar to post while my brother was lying in hospital,” she claimed. She further claimed that because they were unable to obtain updates, family members eventually sourced the driver’s address themselves.

Even after the driver’s arrest, Deveshnee alleges they have received little communication regarding the progress of the investigation.

“Up until today, we have still not received any update on the case. As a family, we are still traumatised because while one side of us is focused on my brother in hospital, the other side is trying to understand what is happening with the case,” Deveshnee added.

She said the family decided to speak publicly not out of anger, but because they hope other families will never experience similar frustrations.

“We are not doing this for recognition. We just don’t want another family to go through what we have gone through,” she said.

She believes families dealing with serious road accidents deserve compassion and regular communication while investigations are underway.

“When people are going through one of the worst times of their lives, they deserve answers. We felt ignored during our most difficult moments,” she shared.

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Despite the family’s concerns surrounding the investigation, Deveshnee said their greatest priority remains Kannan’s recovery.

“Our main focus is my brother. Every single day we pray that he recovers,” she said.

She also appealed to the public to keep him in their thoughts. “I ask everyone to please keep my brother in their prayers. That is all we have left now. We believe God will help him recover,” she concluded.

The SAPS was approached for comment, but no response was received at the time of publication.