Bakkie crashes into Caxton Joburg North’s newspaper building’s fence

During the late hours of 22 June, a vehicle ploughed into the perimeter fence at Caxton Local Media’s Joburg North branch.

The branch’s business manager Norman Dawe received a phone call at 11.30pm from the building’s manager describing the incident.

CCTV footage shows a white Nissan NP200 bakkie, at 10.39pm, driving south on Jan Smuts Avenue when the driver (62 years old) veered off the road and smashed into the property’s boundary fence.

The on-site security guards immediately called 10111, and the security response officer called for an ambulance because the passenger of the vehicle said he was experiencing pain. The security on scene believed the driver of the vehicle was under the influence of alcohol and indicated this to the police.

During this time, Dawe – who was on his way to the building – was informed by the Randburg police officers who had already arrived at the scene that they could not arrest the allegedly drunk driver as they had not seen him driving.

Despite protests from the building manager and Dawe, police officers are said to have refused to test the driver for being under the influence of alcohol.

A man who said he was the driver’s work colleague [or was doing electrical work for him] also attended the scene and alleged the driver had been pushed off the road by another vehicle.

An incident report has been opened at Randburg Police Station. Again, the police officer at the charge office on 23 June said no criminal charges could be laid. He said that, in order for this to be done, evidence of intent to commit a crime would have been required, and alleged that no such evidence exists. The officer also said it was too late to arrest the driver for driving under the influence as it should have been done at the scene if the officers deemed it necessary.

Request for comment from the Randburg Police Station has been sent. The Rosebank Killarney Gazette will keep readers informed on future developments.