Daylight spiking on Platinum N4: Woman saved from alleged robbers

A Hartbeespoort woman escaped a possible robbery on Monday when spikes were thrown in front of her car in broad daylight on the Platinum N4 to Pretoria.

Lize Swanepoel was on her way back from Pretoria on the highway at 10:30 when two men inside a Volkswagen Polo allegedly tried to push her off the road and threw spikes in front of her car. Her tyre was destroyed.

“I was just past the first toll gate from Pretoria when I noticed the Polo. The driver drove close to me, seemingly trying to force me off the road. I kept driving, keeping my eye on them. Then they pulled in front of me and the passenger threw spikes out the window. I hit the spikes and my tyre went flat immediately.

“I knew I had to keep driving. The Polo was still in front of me. About 100m from the toll gate near Hartbeespoort, the car could not drive anymore and I had to stop. I saw the Polo turning around. And then a miracle happened. A Sanral bakkie pulled up. The Polo turned around again and sped away.

“The Sanral official said he was driving behind me and saw the Polo’s behaviour. I am so thankful for his assistance. Things might have turned out worse.

“We are so aware of the spiking incidents lately and I am just glad I could keep calm and concentrate on getting to safety. This seems to be a whole new mode of operation. We are not even safe in daylight,” Swanepoel says.