By April Mitchinson

A FORMER Dundee man has been killed by a hit-and-run driver in Cape Town, South Africa, it was confirmed last night.

Brian Crabb (43), who has been living in South Africa for the last 16 years, was killed instantly when he was “mowed down” on Saturday morning by the young driver of a light delivery truck during a training session for a major South African cycle tour.

His cycling companion and friend, Glenn Bee (57), was seriously injured in the collision.

Last night, from their home in Monifieth, Brian’s parents Ernest and Marion spoke of their shock at the news of the tragic accident.

Mr Crabb said, “My wife, his mum, is really sad with the news and not taking it very well. We all feel exactly the way you’d expect people in this situation to feel…

“It’s still a wee bit too soon and there’s a lot of shock and hurt.”

The Crabbs were given the news of their son’s death on Saturday afternoon by the owners of the furniture business Brian worked for in South Africa.

“The people he worked for telephoned and said they would do everything they could for Brian and for us.

“They said they had adopted Brian and he was like one of their family,” Mr Crabb said.

Brian and Mr Bee had been cycling at around 6am on Saturday through the Cape Town suburb of Kommetjie in preparation for the annual Argus Cycle Tour when the incident occurred.

Eyewitnesses told police that after ploughing into the pair the driver of the vehicle stopped a few metres on and, ignoring the cyclists lying on the road, dragged a buckled bicycle from under his vehicle before driving off.

The witness said there was “no doubt” in his mind that the vehicle was travelling well over the 60km/h speed limit when it hit the cyclists.

After tracking down a number plate lying in the road at the scene of the accident, police later arrested a 23-year-old man and charged him with culpable homicide and reckless and negligent driving.

He is due to appear in court this week.

“A witness said the chap had ploughed into the back of him and his companion.

“He said he thought Brian had been killed outright while his friend, who was his landlord, is in a coma and in intensive care,” Mr Crabb said.

Mr Crabb said the immediate family, including Brian’s elder brother Steven, who lives in New Zealand, his sister Shonagh and younger brother Ewan, would all travel to South Africa for the funeral, which is expected to take place in the next couple of days.

“We will not be bringing his body home, we are going to leave him out there.

“He was happy there, had been living there for around 16 years and called South Africa his home,” Mr Crabb said.