A HIGHWAY resident was lucky to escape with her life after a shot was fired when a gang of hijackers held her up near her home at the weekend.
Blue Security’s managing director, Henk Van Bemmelen, said the latest hijacking incident followed a string of recent armed robbery incidents in the highway area in recent weeks.
“A gang of three armed hijackers fired a shot, in an attempt to scare the motorist before fleeing along Thornton Road in her red Polo Playa. Fortunately, there were no injuries,” said Van Bemmelen.
In a second hijacking incident reported to the security company, a motorist was hijacked of his grey Hyundai i20 in Lupin Lane in Wyebank last week.
Van Bemmelen said armed robbers has also held up a resident in broad daylight in Moffat Avenue in Westville as he arrived home at 11.30am on Wednesday morning.
“The man had just driven into his property when three armed men, who wore black masks, held him up at gunpoint and demanded cash, his wallet, car keys and house keys before they fled in a white Honda,” he said.
In another incident four armed robbers held up staff at a business on the 1000 Hills route. “The robbers held up the cashier at gunpoint and stole an undisclosed sum of cash before fleeing in a black VW Polo and a red Toyota Corolla towards Hillcrest,” he said.
Residents in Severn Drive in Westville also had a lucky escape after housebreakers cut a hole in their property’s fence before they broke down both the kitchen security gate and door. “When the men entered the house, the residents locked themselves in a bedroom and pressed the panic button to activate the alarm and call us to the scene of the crime. The housebreakers fled,” he said.
“Unfortunately, while crime occurs in waves through different areas it seems the number of serious crimes like these have continued in the Highway area unabated in recent weeks,” he said. “We urge residents to be vigilant, especially when leaving and arriving home, as armed robbers tend to cruise the streets waiting for victims.”
“A hijacking can be avoided if motorists are alert to their surroundings. Rather take a drive around the block or go to the police station and call your security company if you notice any suspicious looking vehicles lurking near your homes. Prime times for hijackings are early mornings, evenings and around lunch time when people stop at home to drop off children,” van Bemmelen said.
