Like a comet
Blazing ‘cross the evening sky
Gone too soon

Michael Jackson

“Ashley was a woman of grace and style, elegant, charming, sensitive and tender. In the swamp of vulgarity we wade through, she was polished. Crisp as an apple.

Robert Whitehead at Ashley’s memorial service in 2008

In some ways it feels like yesterday. In other ways, it feels like a lifetime that Ashley’s been away. Where would she have been today if she was still with us? All we can do is think of her and smile.

People do not die for us immediately, but remain bathed in a sort of aura of life which bears no relation to true immortality but through which they continue to occupy our thoughts in the same way as when they were alive.

Marcel Proust

Two years ago today, Ashley Callie passed away after a tragic car accident. Time may have passed Ash, but you continue to live with so many of us and will be a part of our lives forever.

“When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.” – Kahlil Gibran

Music, when soft voices die,
Vibrates in the memory,
Odours, when sweet violets sicken,
Live within the sense they quicken.

Rose leaves, when the rose is dead,
Are heaped for the beloved’s bed;
And so thy thoughts, when thou art gone,
Love itself shall slumber on.

Percy Bysshe Shelley

Lots of love to you Ash. You will never be forgotten.

Charges of culpable homicide against Nico Pretorius, 22, were withdrawn in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday after the state could no longer prove its case.

Pretorius was behind the wheel of the Renault that collided head-on with Callie’s car at the corner of Tana and Linden roads in Emmarentia, Joburg, on February 8 last year.

The actress died from severe head injuries a week later.

The case was originally heard in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court, but on January 14 the case was transferred to the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court because it was in the wrong jurisdiction.

The Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday withdraw the charges because, according to the charge sheet, the case cannot be put back on the roll without permission from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

For Pretorius, meanwhile, the year-long nightmare has finally come to an end.

“It’s a huge relief. It is a major, major relief. At last it’s over,” a smiling Pretorius said from his mom’s Florida home on Friday.

Speaking to the Saturday Star, Pretorius explained how his whole life had changed in the past year.

“It was a rollercoaster. I wanted life to go on but there were always limitations on me. I often thought it would never end. It was constantly on my mind, every single day.”

“Do you know how nice it is to laugh again?” asked his overjoyed mother Dorothy.

“We are completely different people. We feel like cutting the grass and cleaning the house. We can laugh for a change.

“We went through therapy, hardships, pain and anger. One month after the accident happened, his father died. This has been hell.”

Pretorius admits he went into a year-long cocoon and shut everyone out.

“I cut out a lot of things, like being in public. I wasn’t looking for people’s sympathy. Because of the emotional stress I was going through, I was not the person I used to be. I thought it was a burden that I had to carry on my own.”

Although Pretorius has not had any contact with the Callie family since the accident and still believes their daughter was driving on the wrong side of the road, he said he holds no bad feelings towards them.

“If I was in their shoes, I would probably do the same thing.”

He added that he thought the withdrawal of the case may be a relief to them as the court case was a huge waste of time.

But now that it is over, he wants to put the events of the past year behind him.

“There was a lot of heartbreak and a lot of time wasted.

“It could have been avoided if everything was done right from the start. It dragged out way too long, but now it’s finally over.

“I am not going to sue the prosecutor; he was just doing his job. There are no hard feelings.

“I am happy that everything is over. It was a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“It was put in my path for some reason. It happens. All I want to do is put it behind me and move on.”

Recalling the lengthy court case, Pretorius said there were things that worried him.

Most disturbing, he said, was the Internet commentary splashed from the day the accident happened.

“Blogs are the biggest way to carry forward a story in the worst way. Bloggers perceive situations in a way that is blatantly one-sided. People see the story from their side only.

“It comes down to people being misinformed. She [Callie] became the victim because she was the celebrity. I wouldn’t say I was the victim here; we were both to blame.

“What people don’t realise is what you go through.

“It’s easy for them to say that you don’t have any remorse, but they don’t know what you going through. We were always remorseful.”

Thoughts of the night of the accident often plagued him, he said.

“I often went through this thinking Why did I choose this road? I didn’t often take Tana Road but that night I did, I think of how close we came to death. How close to that ditch we were. It is amazing how we got out.”

But for the Callie family, it’s not over.

Callie’s sister Lauren Callie told the Saturday Star on Friday that they had made representations to the prosecuting authority, which are currently under consideration.

“It comes at a bad time. We were very disappointed to hear the charges had been dropped, especially since he had four appearances in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court.

“We were under the impression it was just a change of court and were not expecting a big decision like this.”

She said the prosecutors at the Randburg court had told the family they had a strong case.

“The timing is not great. Sunday is the one-year anniversary of her death. But what do we do? A court case case will never bring my sister back. Conviction is not consolation, but we are trying to encourage people to take responsibility.

“Our priority is to clear my sister’s name, as there were many reports that she was guilty and also to show that there are consequences to negligent driving.”

Lauren added that according to witness statements, her sister was not in the wrong.

Meanwhile, speaking about his five friends in the car with him that night, Pretorius said he was disappointed with them because they never stood by him.

And, he said, the biggest lesson he had learnt from his ordeal was: “Don’t judge anyone before you know the whole story.”

For now, however, Pretorius wants to focus on building his career in photography.

“Everything is over. We have a lot of things to pick up.”

- Saturday Star

The prosecutor in the case, who declined to reveal her name, provided no reasons as to why the charges of culpable homicide and reckless and negligent driving were withdrawn.

This week it was reported that there was a strong chance that Pretorius could walk because of problems relating to court jurisdiction.

The accident took place in the jurisdictional area of the Johannesburg Magistrates Court, but for the past 10 months, his has has been heard in the Randburg Magistrates Court.

Pretorius’s attorney, Ronald Lotz, argued in court that charges against his client could not proceed unless there were written instructions from the National Director of Public Prosecutions.

The prosecutor would not say whether Pretorius would be recharged in connection with Callie’s death, and refused to comment further.

Outside court, Pretorius said he was happy that the case was over.

“I just want to move on with my life and I’m glad that this is over and done with. Justice has been served,” he said.

Callie’s sister, Lauren Callie, who was not present in court, said the family was “very disappointed” at the outcome.

- The Times

“This is highly irritating and frustrating because it is just a metre away from the jurisdiction,” her sister Lauren Callie told journalists outside the Randburg Magistrate’s Court.

The case, which has been heard in Randburg since Nico Pretorius, 21, was charged with culpable homicide and reckless and negligent driving last year, will now be heard in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court.

Prosecutor Gary Famanda told the court a decision was taken to transfer the matter as Randburg had no jurisdiction over it.
It emerged during proceedings that the February 8, 2008, accident in which Callie’s car collided with Pretorius’ car was a few metres short of being within the Randburg jurisdiction.

The two cars collided on the corner of Fourth Avenue and Tana Road in Linden, leaving Callie with head injuries. She died in hospital on February 15.

Clad in white T-shirts imprinted with Callie’s face, date of birth and the day she died, her family, friends and colleagues from the Isidingo soap opera said the transfer would further delay the case.

“This is a year we would have loved to see the case reaching its finality,” Lauren Callie said.

Also annoyed by the announcement was magistrate Pieter Erasmus, who repeatedly shook his head on hearing reasons given for the transfer.

“What I don’t understand is that the charge sheet state streets which fall within the Randburg jurisdiction. The case… The incident is now a year on the roll and they are changing the jurisdiction,” Erasmus said.

The matter will be heard on February 13, two days before the anniversary of Callie’s death.

- Sapa

Nico Pretorius, 21, is facing culpable homicide and reckless and negligent driving charges.

The matter was postponed to October 3 to allow Pretorious to get a legal representative.

The actress, who played Leigh Haines in the SABC 3 soapie Isidingo, died after sustaining head injuries during a car crash in northern Johannesburg in February 8.

Her sister Lauren Callie said the family was pleased that charges were laid because that proved there was sufficient evidence confirming that her sister was actually a victim, “not a villain as some media reports alleged at the time”.

“It was quite a relief for the family, especially after the negative publicity at the time of the accident.”

Lauren Callie said that even if Pretorius was convicted it would not be a consolation for the family because “it won’t bring my sister back”.

- Sapa

The hurting in tonight’s episode was so real, reminding us all of this incredibly huge loss. As Horizon Deep loses Lee, as Barker loses his second child, we all feel the terrible pain of losing the actress we loved so much. RIP Ashley.

The corpse of Lee, who went missing on Wednesday night’s episode, will be found later this week.

In Wednesday night’s episode Frank (Kevin Smith) finds out from his secretary that Lee never showed up for work again after the death of her mother, Anthea (Aletta Bezuidenhout).

In Thursday night’s episode Barker (Robert Whitehead), who played Lee’s father, will get a phone call from Mpumalanga with news of what had happened to her.

Memorial service

Thursday night the community will be shocked over the news of Lee’s death and in next Wednesday’s episode there will be a memorial service for her.

Isidingo‘s executive producer Pumla Hopa did not want to elaborate about how Lee died and only said that she did not die in a car accident as various rumours claimed.

Hopa said the show’s producers had spoken to Callie’s family when the script was changed.

She also said the other actors were comfortable with the way in which Callie’s character died.

‘We prefer that the character dies’

Callie’s sister Lauren said her family were realistic and were “honestly” not disturbed by the fact that the character also died in the soapie.

“We realise that we don’t have control over it.

“We prefer that the character dies rather than someone else being placed in her role.

“The family also realises that when Lee dies, it is the character who dies and not our sister, child and friend.”

She said that Isidingo was sensitive and the family was regularly informed of developments while the script was being changed.

“We are still inundated with messages of condolence from viewers and fans.

“It’s evidence of how well Ashley portrayed the character of Lee Haines,” she said.

- News24

The mood on the set of Isidingo is still sombre after Ashley Callie’s tragic death last month. Everyone is missing the actress (who played Lee Haines) terribly, Jack Devnarain, Isidingo’s Rajesh, told YOU at Audi Joburg Fashion Week at the Sandton Convention Centre.

“It’s going to be gripping stuff. What happens is sudden and shocking. Fans will be reaching for their tissues,” Jack says.

• We will miss her laughter (YOU magazine – 28 February 2008)
• Ashley Callie: A final farewell (Heat magazine – 1-7 March 2008)
• Ashley wasn’t to blame (People magazine – 7 March 2008)

Rose grower Ludwig Taschner has dedicated the rose to Ashley in response to requests from the public. The deep, vibrant salmon colour of the blooms was specially chosen by Ashley’s family as this was her favourite colour and was worn by her in the television series.

“The fact that we had a good rose in the right colour told us that this rose was meant for her. For the family it means a great deal to have such a living memory of their daughter,’ said Ludwig.

Lauren Callie, Ashley’s sister, said on behalf of the family, “We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to Ludwig for his kindness and immense generosity in dedicating such a fitting and beautiful rose to Ashley. Not only is a rose such a special and perfect way for us to ensure her memory lives on, but it also serves as a symbol of my sister’s zest for life, her love of all things beautiful and her passion for nature.”

The Ashley Callie rose grows into a large, voluptuous bush, similar in performance and height to the popular white ‘Iceberg’ rose. It flowers prolifically, producing clusters of deep salmon coloured blooms, which are firm and last well on the bush as well as in the vase. The foliage is glossy and healthy, making this an easy to maintain rose.

In line with the family’s wishes, a portion of the price of each rose that is bought will go to two charities supported by Ashley: The National Council of SPCA’s and the Animal Anti-Cruelty League.

The Ashley Callie rose can be obtained from Ludwig’s Roses Egoli, Linbro Park (take the N3, London Road offramp) or Ludwig’s Rose Farm (N1 North, Wallmansthall offramp), or Ludwig’s Roses Soleil, Lynnwood Road, Pretoria, or Ludwig’s Roses Winelands, N1 to Paarl, Stellenbosch/Klipheuwel offramp.

At a later stage the roses will be available at Roses for U, in Bloemfontein (051 4417876) and Star Roses in Hillcrest (031 7655777).

Contact numbers are:

Egoli: 0116084166
The Rose Farm: 012 5440144
Soleil: 012 8090134
Winelands: 021 8844552