UPDATE: Driver, passenger survives burning car

Survivors: It might be the only thing that saved us that day.

The BMW caught containing two men caught fire spontaneously when stopping at an intersection in Randgate on Sunday, 7 August.

Two men have lived to tell the horrific tale of the day, (Sunday, 7 August) when the vehicle they were driving went up in flames at an intersection.

One of the men was airlifted to hospital after sustaining critical injuries in the car fire. The incident occurred at the corner of Stegmann and Botha Streets in Randgate. Jonathan Klopper, the driver of the vehicle, said moments before the blaze, he noticed a vehicle behind with its headlights flashing.

“When we looked back we could see a large cloud of smoke coming out of the rear of the vehicle,” Jonathan said.

He then jumped out of the vehicle and ran to call for help.

Randfontein Fire Department firefighters extinguished the fire that engulfed the BMW at an intersection.

Quinton Jonker, the passenger who was trapped in the vehicle while it was on fire, said he was struggling to get out because his safety belt had stuck.

“I pulled too hard on the belt when I saw the flames around me and couldn’t release its buckle,” Quinton said. “I eventually got out of the car, but I was badly burned.”

The vehicle later exploded and burnt out. The Randfontein Fire Department helped extinguish the blaze and members of the Community Policing Forum (CPF) helped regulate traffic and assisted in any way possible.

A BMW spontaniously burst into flames on Sunday, 7 August after stopping at the intersection of Stegmann and Botha Streets.

Jonker added that he remembers being taken home because he was very thirsty and had to wait for the ambulance where it was safe. He was then transported by ambulance to Greenhills Sport Stadium and airlifted to Milpark Hospital. He spent three days in ICU and was treated for smoke inhalation.

Klopper told the Herald that neither he nor Jonker owned the vehicle – they were just driving it to their workshop to repair the rear wheel-rims, balance the tyres and re-set the wheel alignment. The exact cause of the fire is unknown.

“I urge drivers to always pay attention to drivers around them who might be trying to warn you of something wrong with your vehicle,” Klopper said.

“It might be the only thing that saved us that day.”

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.