BEDFORDVIEW, Johannesburg – A motorist was shot and killed during an alleged robbery after being forced to stop alongside the N1 on Sunday night.

Reports indicate that the victim was forced to pull over after his vehicle was allegedly damaged by spikes deliberately placed on the road by criminals on 18 October.

The Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA) said the incident formed part of a pattern of violent crime targeting motorists on South Africa’s highways.

Earlier this year, MISA warned motorists about incidents after rocks were placed on the N4 eastbound between Silver Lakes and Donkerhoek. The warning followed an incident in which a MISA employee narrowly escaped a suspected spiking trap near Krugersdorp.

In August, a woman died after a rock was allegedly thrown through her windscreen from a bridge in Bedfordview.

Martlé Keyter, chief executive officer for operations at MISA, said the locations where these crimes occur are well known.

“Many of these routes are monitored by cameras. South Africans deserve to know why these criminals continue to operate with apparent impunity. The perpetrators responsible for this murder must be identified, arrested and prosecuted without delay,” Keyter said.

MISA has called for increased visible policing and dedicated patrols at identified spiking and rock-throwing hotspots, particularly at night.

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The organisation also called for authorities to use freeway surveillance and camera footage to identify and prosecute those responsible, improved lighting and safety infrastructure on high-risk freeway stretches, and public reporting by SAPS on arrests, prosecutions and convictions linked to road-spiking and rock-throwing incidents.