Youngster fights for his life during hijacking
A 19-year-old Brakpan resident had to fight for his life when he was approached by three armed hijackers, on Tuesday evening, last week.
JJ van Dyk sustained a broken wrist, broken ribs and was cut with a knife during the ordeal, which occurred on the corner of Boyd Street and Prince George Avenue, at about 7.30pm.
His vehicle, a light blue Peugeot 206cc, was taken by the hijackers.
JJ told the Herald that he was driving back home from a nearby petrol station and had stopped at the robot, when he noticed three males approaching his car.
“One went to the front of my car and aimed a firearm at me; the other two went to either side of the car and pulled the door handles to see if the doors were unlocked,” he said.
The window on the driver’s side was slightly open and the hijacker standing at the driver’s side made use of the opportunity to reach through it and unlock the doors.
“He then pulled me out of the car and told me not to get smart with them,” said JJ.
“He started to punch and kick me; I felt completely helpless.”
The other two hijackers climbed into the car and waited for their accomplice, who took out his knife and put it against JJ’s throat.
“I was afraid that he would slit my throat and I wrestled with him; in the process I sustained cut wounds to my arms,” said JJ.
Thankfully, the other two males who were waiting in the car urged the armed hijacker to get into the vehicle.
The hijacker then climbed into the driver’s seat and drove off.
“There was a white Toyota Tazz behind me at the robot, but the driver drove away as quickly as possible,” said JJ.
He also tried to draw the attention of people driving past him, but nobody stopped and he had to walk all the way to the Brakpan Police Station, bleeding and suffering extreme pain.
The incident has left JJ traumatised and he battles to sleep.
“I try to sleep during the day, because I just cannot fall asleep when it’s dark,” he said.
Joseph van Dyk, JJ’s father, told Herald that this incident has had an enormous impact on his son’s life.
“He’s not sleeping and, when he does, he wakes up screaming, because of the nightmares he’s experiencing,” he said.
“No father should ever see his son like this and, although he blames himself for what happened, I tell him every day that the fact that he’s alive is the only thing that matters.”
Capt Joep Joubert, spokesperson for the Brakpan Police Station commander, confirmed that a case was opened at the station and that they are currently investigating the incident.
Also read:
Waarskuwing aan motoriste: motorkapers se nuutse manier om jou kar te vat
Victim fires shots at hijackers
Vermeende motordiewe is tronk toe
