Man dies in attempted robbery in Hazyview

The Hazyview police are investigating an attempted robbery case following the death of an axe-wielding suspect.
At about 19:50 on April 18 the driver of an articulated truck was allegedly attacked at the De Rust crossing on the R40.

“As I was turning towards White River, I noticed a man running from the bushes as if he wanted to cross the road, and I reduced speed,” reads the truck driver’s affidavit, a copy of which Lowveld Media has seen.

I heard a loud bang on the passenger window and the glass shattered. I noticed a person standing there holding on to the truck’s side mirror.”

The 32-year-old driver claimed the man was carrying an axe. According to the truck driver, his attacker demanded cash and a cellphone through the shattered window. “I started increasing speed and swinging the truck left and right until I couldn’t see him anymore,” said the driver.

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He said he heard a loud sound from the two back trailers but continued driving. A short while later he reached an area where he could safely execute a U-turn and drove back to the scene.
“I found an African man lying on the road with an axe next to him. I called the police,” the driver explained.
When the police arrived, they called paramedics who declared the suspect dead on the scene.

A provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Donald Mdhluli, confirmed the incident. “We can confirm that we are investigating a case of attempted armed robbery and another to determine the suspect’s cause of death,” said Mdhluli.
He added that the suspect’s identity had not yet been established, but that it would form part of the investigation. The axe was confiscated as well.