Dina Senekal, a 65-year-old pensioner, claims she was the unfortunate victim of extremely bad luck when she was first hit by a truck and then robbed by a car guard on Friday, 28 January.
She said the incident took place on Main Reef Road close to 5th Street at about 4pm.
Senekal explained to the Herald that she and her daughter, Madelein Vorster, 43, were walking home close to Main Reef Road after a visiting a large food retail group. Senekal had one foot in the road, on the way to crossing it, when a truck, which she said was supposed to stop but the driver only slacked down, hit her. After the incident, the driver got out of the truck while a so-called car guard helped her up as she had fallen on her left arm. It was raining heavily that day, so she was soaking wet.
Senekal had her wallet with her and after the car guard helped her up, he did the unthinkable – he grabbed her wallet and ran away. While this was happening, the driver asked her if she OK, and she replied, “I’m OK”. The driver then got back in his truck and drove off. However, Vorster managed to get the truck’s registration number.
The two women then went straight to the bank to stop Senekal’s bank card. At that stage, the employee at the bank stopped the card and gave her a new one. It was also confirmed that no money had been withdrawn from her account.
Once the adrenaline of the shock left her body and in the days thereafter, she saw blue marks on her right arm and body where the truck hat hit her, and also felt pain in her left arm – the one she’d fallen on.
The next day, Senekal got another shock, when money was actually withdrawn from her account. The bank employee told Senekal that her PIN must have been in her wallet.
Senekal replied, “Who carries their PIN number in their wallet?”
Senekal’s SASSA card, driver’s licence, money, airtime voucher and bank card were all in her wallet. After leaving the bank, just after 5pm, they approached the company whose driver had knocked Senekal down. The response they received there was not very helpful and one of the employees said he would speak to the driver on Monday. The owner of the company was not there.
Senekal reported the case to the Randfontein Police, where they said that at this stage all she could do was make an affidavit. During the course of the weekend, Vorster called the company employee they had spoken to twice, but they were only able to leave a voicemail.
On Monday, they returned to the company, to find that the employee had not activated his voicemail. They were also informed that Senekal had to get a J88 form and have her injuries noted down on it.
She then opened a case of theft and a case of negligent driving. The Herald tried to get comment from the company employee, who clearly did not want to give the Herald the owner’s number. He said that he was waiting for Senekal to come see him. He also said the driver of the truck was still driving.
Senekal said, “This week has been terrible, having to go to a state hospital, the police station, the bank, and SASSA, and getting injured and on top of that, losing all the money I had.”
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at randfonteinherald@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 693 3671.
Also read:Â
Pensioner and gardner attacked
For free daily local news on the West Rand, also visit our sister newspaper websites Roodepoort Record, Krugersdorp News and Get It Joburg West Magazine
Remember to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to let your voice be heard!
