Driver busted going 204km/h claims he was rushing friend with ‘Covid-19’ to hospital

A Chinese national caught by police allegedly driving 204km/h in a 120km/h zone, tried to avoid getting arrested by claiming he was rushing a friend who had symptoms of Covid-19 to hospital.

But the friend told the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) officers that he did not have Covid-19 symptoms.

The 47-year-old driver, from Mpumalanga, was arrested for reckless and negligent driving, said EMPD spokesperson Kobeli Mokheseng.

He said the man was stopped in his BMW M5 in the Bedfordview/Senderwood area on the N3 freeway north-bound between the Gillooly’s interchange and Linksfield off-ramp.

“The Chinese national from Mpumalanga, who was with a male passenger, alleged that he was taking his friend to the nearest hospital, after he noticed symptoms of the Covid-19/coronavirus. The driver was taken to Bedfordview police station and the passenger, who was cornered and interviewed by officers on site, denied being infected,” said Mokheseng.

The man was one of three motorists nabbed by EMPD for speeding since Saturday.

They were nabbed in Alberton and Bedfordview.

Arrest

The police also arrested a 34-year-old man on the N12 for clocking 168 km/h in a 120km/h zone.

Mokheseng said the man claimed he was rushing to buy cake for his nine-year-old son’s birthday.

Mokheseng said the man was caught on Saturday in Alberton on the N12 freeway (direction east) between the Reading interchange and Voortrekker off-ramp.

He was driving a grey Golf GTI with his son in the passenger seat.

“He was stopped and handcuffed for clocking 168km/h – claiming that they were rushing to get a cake, since it was his son’s birthday,” said Mokheseng.

On the same stretch of road, a 23-year-old driver of a silver BMW 1 series, was caught clocking 174km/h, saying she was late for a dentist’s appointment.

Mokheseng said the woman was arrested at 11:25.

“Both motorists were escorted to Alberton police station,” said Mokheseng.

Mokheseng said the three suspects were charged with reckless and negligent driving and would appear in the Palm Ridge and Germiston magistrates’ courts soon.

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