Remembering Brumbies forward Shawn McKay, who on this day in 2009, passed away in a Durban hospital after he was hit by an armed-response vehicle.
The 26-year-old McKay had captained the Australia Rugby Sevens team from 2005 until 2008, before signing with the Brumbies ahead of the 2009 Super 14 season.
Following the Brumbies’ 35-14 loss to the Sharks at Kings Park on 28 March, McKay spent a night out with 15 of his teammates – Mark Gerrard, Stirling Mortlock, Nic Henderson, George Smith, Josh Holmes, Christian Leali’ifano, Salesi Ma’afu, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Gene Fairbanks, Patricks Phibbs, Ben Hand, Huia Edmonds, Tyrone Smith, Francis Fainifo and Peter Kimlin.
But when they left a nightclub at 4:15am on 29 March, McKaw was hit by an armed-response vehicle while crossing the road on his way to the team bus.
Springbok and Sharks prop Jannie du Plessis, who is a practising doctor, saw the accident outside the Durban nightspot and was the first to attend to Mackay to help him breathe before an ambulance arrived.
McKay sustained spinal damage, a fractured skull and a broken leg. He underwent surgery and spent time in a medically induced coma before he tragically passed away from cardiac arrest eight days after the accident.
RIP Shawn McKay.
Photos: Getty Images
