Police have warned motorists to be alert when driving on the N2, particularly in the Grabouw area, where hijackers are on the prowl and numerous attempted incidents have reportedly occurred.
Grabouw police spokesperson Captain Raldeen Atson confirmed a 27-year-old passenger was injured when three vehicles were allegedly targeted on the highway on Wednesday 8 June.
She said the passenger sustained multiple injuries when the back window of the vehicle she was travelling in was smashed by an unknown object. The injured woman was an occupant of the Toyota Tazz driven by her father, a Kleinmond resident passing through the Overberg around 22:30 on Wednesday when the incident occurred.
“Although he did not sustain any injuries, his daughter sustained multiple injuries to her face and had to receive medical attention,” Atson said.
Another near-victim related his own experience on Facebook, after evading perpetrators who had thrown a brick at his windscreen. He said the road was barricaded and six suspected hijackers wearing black pounced on his vehicle, one of three involved in the incident.
“I noticed in the distance what looked like a person on a bike who had fallen in the road. I reduced speed and turned on my high beams, and to my horror I saw the road was barricaded. Speeding was not an option, so I stopped one metre from the barricade and saw six men wearing balaclavas armed with weapons.”
Atson said a case of malicious damage to property has been opened and is under investigation. No arrests have been made yet.
DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette reached out to the complainant, the driver of the Toyota Tazz and injured woman’s father, for comment, but he opted for privacy. His daughter is due to undergo surgery on Monday 27 June.
Atson urged motorists to be especially cautious when using the N2.
“Numerous cases have already been reported for the same area,” she said. “We want to warn motorists as far as possible to not make use of the N2 after dark. Saps Highway Patrol, the flying squad and provincial traffic have been tasked with being more visible on the N2.”
