‘Spiked’ on the highway ‒ ‘God saved me’

A young lady almost became a victim to the notorious N4-spike robbers.

June 12, 2021

Sinethemba Mahlangu and Chrisune Vermeulen 2 minutes read

A young lady almost became a victim to the notorious N4-spike robbers as she was travelling on the N4 highway in daylight.

On June 5 the woman was on her way from eMalahleni to Pretoria when she drove under a bridge where road signs were placed.

“As I was passing under the bridge, I felt how I hit something and thought it was a piece of the road sign that was placed there,” Ms Ameera Thokan told WITBANK NEWS.

She immediately knew something else was wrong as she got a flat tyre and contacted her dad while still driving.

“I did not panic for one second as my dad always taught us to keep calm in unknown situations. He guided me until I reached a place of safety,” she added.

Although her first thought was that she drove over a road sign that was run over already, she knew about the incidents of the ‘spike robbers’ that occurred on numerous highways.

“I am used to driving these roads every day. I am even used to drive on roads towards informal settlements. Everybody is asking me if I am afraid to travel alone again and to be quite honest, I am not traumatised at all after this incident. The only advice from my side towards the fellow road users is to always make sure your phone is fully charged, that you have an emergency number on speed dial and always keep your family or friends updated if you go on the road,” the brave lady added.

This is not the first incident of the sort as numerous motorists fell victim to ‘spiking’ on the N4 and N12 highways recently.

This modus operandi is used by robbers to force motorists to stop when they have a flat tyre, only to be robbed of their belongings.

WITBANK NEWS reported on these incidents since February this year, about the constant warnings from the police and people patrolling the highways urging road users to be vigilant.

“I can truly say that God was with me all the time and that He saved me. I want to thank the lady and man from the Community Policing Forum in Bronkhorstspruit that immediately assisted me as we waited for the police to arrive. They were Godsend,” Thokan added.

WITBANK NEWS contacted the spokesperson from Trans African Concessions (TRAC), Ms Solange Nicholson to query if they are aware of the incidents.

Nicholson confirmed that TRAC is aware of the spikes and they are working with relevant law enforcement stakeholders to help victims.

She further advised motorists to not drive during late hours, as more spikes are placed after sunset.

“If your car has been spiked, don’t stop; rather drive and stop at a public area where people can assist you. Alternatively, one can call TRAC on 080 087 2264.”