Moments before the West Coast’s rugby iron man, Tommie Laubscher, was killed in the early hours of Saturday morning, he saved his son’s life.
Laubscher, 43, and his son, Tommie jnr, had stopped to help a driver who had hit a cow, when he saw a vehicle heading for them through the mist and pushed his son out of the way.
The former Springbok prop forward was wearing his Western Province blazer when he died.
Minutes after being hit by the bakkie, Tommie died in the arms of his close friend, Johann “Bokkom” Cilliers.
The driver Tommie was trying to help had hit the cow in the mist on the road between Velddrif and Piketberg. He and Tommie jnr were a few metres from the car when the bakkie hit him.
An emotional Cilliers told Rapport he was the first person at the accident.
“When I got into my vehicle to drive on, I heard brakes screaming. I turned and saw Tommie lying about 30 metres away.
“He was still alive. I took him in my arms and he gave me a last hug. Then he died. He was my tjomma (best friend) and my brother.”
Cilliers’ wife, Jeanette, said Tommie had insisted that they should visit on the Friday evening.
“He was wearing his WP blazer and made us a delicious seafood potjie, the way that only Tommie could do it. He had us laughing, with his quick wit.
“After we’d eaten, the children wanted to go and “spot” wild pigs.
“On the way home, we stopped where someone had hit a cow on the road. Tommie was driving behind us. We phoned him to tell him about the accident and warned him drive carefully.
“He stopped about 100m from the accident and he and his son climbed out.
“That’s when he was hit by the bakkie. We don’t want to even talk about it, it’s too painful.”
Cilliers said Tommie was a legend, not only on the rugby field, but with his friends as well.
“He would have turned 44 in October, and he referred to it as his 4×4 party. He was a gentle giant.”
As a young WP prop forward who had the scales groaning at 117kg, Tommie was a formidable opponent in the scrum.
He turned out for Boland 43 times between 1980 and 1981, and played almost 100 matches in Western Province colours.
His Springbok debut was against the Argentine in Port Elizabeth in 1994.
Tommie jnr, who is a matric pupil at Drostdy High School in Worcester, had to be sedated after the accident. Tommie’s wife, Antoinette, was extremely emotional.
Cilliers said: “Tommie jnr said the only present he could offer his father was to become a Springbok rugby player.” Tommie jnr plays on the flank for his school.
The other children, André, 11, and Elmarie, 16, also were heart-broken.
Tommie’s uncle, Andries du Toit, drove through to Vredenburg on Saturday morning to take the tidings to his elderly mother, Yvonne Laubscher.
“She is 70 and her heart is shattered; she’s struggling to come to terms with the idea that her only son has died. She and Tommie were very close.”
No funeral arrangements have been made yet.
Randall Stoffels, police spokesperson in Cape Town, said a culpable homicide docket had been opened. There have been no arrests.