One South African woman proved just how seriously she takes her democratic right when she returned to a voting station on crutches after being injured in a hit-and-run.
Fourways, South Africa (05 November 2026) – A fractured foot, an injured leg and a trip to hospital were not enough to stop one determined South African from making her voice heard at the polls. After being knocked down and driven over by a car while waiting to vote, Chantelle Gribble returned to the voting station on crutches and cast her ballot anyway!
Chantelle had arrived early at a voting station in Craigavon on Wednesday, hoping to beat the queues and exercise her democratic right. But what should have been a straightforward morning took a terrifying turn when a car struck her while she was standing in line.
Speaking to the Fourways Review, Chantelle described the frightening incident.
“As we were standing in the queue, someone just drove into me, knocked me to the ground, and then proceeded to drive over me.”
Thankfully, the people around her immediately jumped into action. Fellow voters screamed and banged on the car, desperately trying to get the driver to stop. One person managed to capture the registration number, while another helped arrange an ambulance. Chantelle was taken to hospital, where doctors confirmed that she had fractured a bone in her foot. She also suffered a tyre burn and skin damage to the back of her leg, with further scans scheduled to determine whether her Achilles tendon had been injured.
But even after everything she had been through, there was still one thing on her mind. Voting!
“I didn’t even want the ambulance to take me to the hospital. I wanted them to bring me straight here but they said they had to take me to the hospital first.”
And true to her word, once she had received medical attention, Chantelle made her way back to the voting station on crutches, determined to finish what she had started that morning.
“I was just adamant to vote. It’s time.”
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In photos: South Africans Vote to Shape the Future of Their Municipalities!While Chantelle recovers from her injuries, we hope she knows just how many people will be inspired by her determination. She went to vote, endured something nobody should ever experience and still found her way back to make her mark.
We wish Chantelle a speedy and full recovery. And to every person who stopped to help her, thank you for reminding us that good people really are everywhere.
You can watch her interview with Caxton Joburg North below:
@caxtonjoburgnorth Watch: Chantelle Gribble recounts the terrifying ordeal of being run over by a car while standing in a voting queue in Craigavon. Despite her injuries, she returned to cast her ballot. Video: Ayanda Ntshingila #Fourways #Localgovernment #Elections #HitandRun ♬ original sound – Caxton Joburg North
Read the original report by Ayanda Ntshingila in the Fourways Review here.
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