Terror on the N2 continues unabated after two people were robbed and stabbed after their bakkie overheated and they were forced to stop.
Terence Walsh said he had been en route to Groote Schuur Hospital last Friday.
“I was taking Jan (Swart, his friend) for his eye appointment and we wanted to get on the road early before the traffic. We were on the road just after 5am. I noticed the bakkie’s temperature was sky high. We stopped, I opened the bonnet to check the radiator water. The radiator cap fell into the engine compartment. It was dark and we could not see much.”
Walsh said it was at this stage he asked Swart to call his home to check if there was anyone who could give them further help.
Around 5.45am, Walsh noticed three men approaching the area where they had pulled off at the Airport Exit Road. They were armed with a gun and two knives.
“One of them grabbed me and immediately took my wallet. It was so fast. At the best of times, I struggle to get it out. When he grabbed me, the torch fell to the ground. He was attempting to get my cellphone out of my jacket. He could feel it but couldn’t see it and he stabbed me in the hand. When I swung around, he stabbed me in the neck. I fell to the ground.”
Terence Walsh was en route to Groote Schuur Hospital last Friday. File image
Meanwhile, on the other side of the vehicle Swart was being robbed by the other attackers.
“They took his wallet and cellphone. When I looked they had hit him on the head. There was a lot of blood.”
Walsh said after the attackers had got what they wanted they casually walked towards the Airport Exit Road.
After they signalled for help, Werner Steyn stopped.
“At this time I did not realise how much I was bleeding,” said Walsh.
Emergency Services were called and, despite an ambulance being dispatched, it was Walsh’s son who rushed his father to hospital and Steyn who took Swart to Groote Schuur Hospital.
“We waited for an ambulance for about 45 minutes. The one which was dispatched had come across another accident and had stopped at the scene. Another was dispatched but that took forever,” said Walsh.
Provincial health department spokesperson Mark van der Heever said: “Another vehicle was dispatched; however circumstances as to why it did not arrive will have to be looked at.”
Steyn, who stopped about five minutes after the incident occurred, said he had been scared to stop because he did not know if it was someone was someone trying to get him to stop so they could rob or hijack him.
“Mr Swart waved at oncoming traffic and they also had their hazards on. I noticed that this person was in distress. If we all ignore people because we don’t know them, then the world would be a very bad place.”
Asked why he had stopped, potentially putting his life in danger, he said he done so because he had been in that situation before and had needed help.
“Concerning though was that so many law enforcement and traffic police just drove past us despite us trying to get them to help,” said Steyn.
About an hour and a half later, according to Steyn, an officer who was going by on a motorcycle noticed them and stopped.
“Terence’s sons had arrived five minutes after he had stopped and everything changed. We felt safer.”
City of Cape Town Metro Police chief Wayne le Roux said the area was deemed problematic.
City of Cape Town Metro Police chief Wayne le Roux said the area was deemed problematic. File image: Mxolisa Madels
“Our constant advice to motorists is to take ownership and make sure their cars are roadworthy and make sure their cars have fuel. If it is mechanical fault, pull over somewhere people can see you and make sure you have the city’s control room number.”
Although he would not divulge how many patrol vehicles or how much manpower they had, he said there were constant patrols on the N2 and R300 with CCTV.
Last month Metro Police spokesperson Ruth Solomons said crime on the N2 and R300 was a growing concern.
Weekend Argus