A fifteen-year-old girl is in critical condition with severe injuries after her hair became entangled in a go-kart at a Durban amusement park. The adolescent is currently being treated for spinal bruising, spinal cord damage, and a torn aorta in the ICU, according to a South African online newspaper.
The teen, Kristen Govender, was injured last week at Gateway Mall and suffered a torn scalp and paralysis below the waist, according to her father, Vernon Govender. The father of the adolescent stated that his daughter was wearing a helmet and had her long hair in a ponytail, insisting that she complied with all regulations.
According to TimesLive, he stated that while family members were present, she was assisted by bystanders who called paramedics. Authorities are conducting an investigation into the incident.
“MANAGEMENT FAILED TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE”
According to Kristen Govender’s father, the go-equipment kart’s was defective and the management failed to provide immediate assistance. TimesLive reported that Gateway Mall confirmed the incident at Action Karting on Wednesday. Due to its ‘insensitive nature’ and out of respect for the family, the mall stated in a statement that it would not comment on the incident.
It was stated that a management representative had been in contact with her father since the incident occurred.
“During her first circuit of the course, Kristin lost control and crashed into the barrier. The back of the go-kart became loose at that point, Govender was quoted as saying by the weekly Post.
“The cover atop the axel appeared loose to her.” When an official approached her, she inquired about the loose cover. The official informed her that everything was in order, removed the piece of plastic, discarded it, and instructed her to continue racing. This is also when her over one-meter-long hair became loose under her helmet.
“During her second lap, the back of her hair became entangled in this exposed axle, resulting in her scalping. Her frontal hair was pulled out, causing abrasions to her scalp.
“She was gushing blood profusely. My son, age 13, was with her. The go-karting office was closed when he arrived to report the accident. They closed everything quickly. “Even the management, including the safety officers who were supposed to be present, had abandoned the scene,” Govender said.
WHAT DO THE AUTHORITIES HAVE TO SAY?
The mall’s administration has stated that all safety precautions were taken at the track. The owner of Action Karting Gateway, Steven Pool, told the weekly that all safety precautions were taken at the track. In addition, he threatened legal action in response to allegations that Kristin’s uncle was “extremely aggressive” toward staff members who attempted to assist after the incident.
“We feel compassion for the family. In the eight years that I’ve managed the track, however, we’ve never experienced an incident of this magnitude. All of our customers view a safety video that explains in detail how to ride the kart and behave on the track, including tying their hair back.
“We do not tie women’s hair (ourselves) because it is sometimes inappropriate. Therefore, we defer to the clients in this regard. In the past, fathers have objected to my staff tying up the hair of our younger clients,” Pool added.
