Another Ford up in flames
“You get quite a fright seeing smoke coming from your car and I think it could have happened to anyone,”
Another Ford burst into flames, this time it was a Ford Focus 1.6 EcoBoost.
On Friday, March 10 Mr Dewald Botha was driving along the R575 towards Standerton when he noticed something amiss with his new car.
“I was doing around 100 to 110 and I heard a pop sound, the car stopped reacting to the accelerator so I pulled over to the side of the road, this was when I saw smoke coming from the bonnet” he said.
When smoke started to come from the bonnet, fearing that his engine had caught fire, Botha didn’t approach the bonnet and noticed a trail of oil running from his car along the road he was travelling along.
At this time a passer by noticed Botha’s distress and decided to give a hand.
Mr Ebed Mahne was driving towards Koornfontein when he passed the Ford Focus standing alongside the road.
“I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw smoke coming from the hood, it wasn’t steam it was dark in colour and with all the Kuga’s catching fir I thought to myself it is a ford so it is possible,” he said jokingly.
Mahne then made a u-turn to go offer his help to the man standing besides the car along the road.
A Ford Focus 1.6 EcoBoost caught aflame along the R575.
“I had a peak and saw flames under the hood, I ran to my car to fetch my extinguisher but wasn’t able to extinguish the fire completely as it was a small extinguisher,”
“I told the oom to quickly get his valuables and items of importance from his car, I assisted him in carrying what needed to be carried and we made our way away from the car quickly before it caught flame,” said Mahne.
Botha recalls that the car only had just over 10 000 kilo’s on the clock as it was fairly new, it hadn’t even gone for its first service.
“You get quite a fright seeing smoke coming from your car and I think it could have happened to anyone,” said Botha. “It was a good car and drove lekker,” he said.
A number of passersby stopped to offer a hand and contact was made with Botha’s wife who then came to pick him up.
“It’s wonderful that there are selfless people that are willing to help in that situation. A number of people offered me a lift home but I declined as my wife was on her way to pick me up, some offered to wait with me but I told them its not necessary. I want to thank everyone for their help on the day,” said Botha.
ALSO READ:
https://www.citizen.co.za/witbank-news/17341/fire-causes-accident/
https://www.citizen.co.za/witbank-news/52577/where-there-is-smoke-there-is-fire-and-a-wrecked-aston/
