Woman in stolen car causes havoc during chase

According to Estcourt police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel TM Mabaso, the woman had stopped at a petrol station in Warden on Tuesday morning, Ladysmith Gazette reported.

“The car was driven by a female driver who put in R200 worth of petrol at Warden,” Lieutenant-Colonel Mabaso said.

The woman allegedly failed to pay the attendant and sped off. N3 Highway Patrol officers stationed at Harrismith spotted the vehicle passing at high speed and gave chase. The officer chased the woman until the Tugela Plaza, where she smashed through the tollgates.

More police and Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) units joined in the chase and, at one stage, six police and RTI vehicles were chasing the fleeing woman, who was said to have driven at more than 180km/h.

According to Mabaso, the driver attempted to sideswipe a police van that had pulled up next to her. Shots were then fired at her vehicle in an attempt to stop it. However, the woman kept driving even after police had shot out her tyres.

The woman eventually stopped at a roadblock set up by police near Estcourt. The car she was driving was also reported stolen. The woman was arrested and detained in Estcourt before being sent back to Warden. The woman now faces numerous charges, including theft and driving without a licence.

– Caxton News Service