Second shocking motorcycle incident surfaces
The NEWS has received a second shocking picture of a motorcycle being ridden unsafely with a young child, this time in Bedfordview.
The photograph was captured several weeks ago by a motorist and shows two adults on a motorcycle with a small child between them wrapped in a blanket.
The resident who sent the photograph to the NEWS last week asked not to be named.
He said the photograph was taken at the intersection of Kloof and Van Buuren roads.
“I followed the motorcyclist all the way from the Bedford Gardens Hospital. He ignored all stop streets and was riding like an idiot,” said the resident.
The photograph was sent in merely a week after the SAPS announced that it will press ahead with charges against a biker caught on camera, riding recklessly through Edenvale with a young child wearing only a bicycle helmet.
The Edenvale SAPS Head of Detectives, Lieutenant Colonel Ben Baloyi, will personally investigate the charges against the biker and confirmed that the man has sought legal advice and has been ordered to report to the Edenvale SAPS.
“We have a witness statement from the motorist who filmed the footage and have obtained an unedited copy thereof,” said Lt Col Baloyi.
By Friday afternoon, the man had not yet complied with police orders.
The biker will face charges of child endangerment and reckless and negligent driving, among other charges, added to the docket last week.
Spokesperson for the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD), Chief Superintendent Wilfred Kgasago, said by working with the Edenvale SAPS, authorities hope to, “Really throw the book at the biker”.
National chairperson for the Justice Project South Africa (JPSA), Mr Howard Dembovsky, told the NEWS last week it was heartening to know that law enforcement authorities have taken this matter seriously.
“We would specifically like to thank the motorist who captured the video footage for having the guts to do the right thing and come forward. Taking a stand against crime is rarely the easy thing to do but without it, incidents like this will continue to happen, often with disastrous results,” Mr Dembovsky said.
He added that comments on the YouTube video had been disabled after a number of “particularly disturbing comments” were received.
The video clip was uploaded on Monday, August 26, and by Tuesday it had received over 6 000 views.
By August 30, the clip had been viewed over 110 000 times.
On Friday, the clip had been viewed more than 234 000 times.
