You are driving along and come to a stop sign. While you are waiting, your passenger side window erupts into shattered glass and a hand reaches into your car.
This was the terrifying reality one motorist faced on Monday evening as she was driving from Umhlanga to Umdloti.
According to CERT Emergency Response Tongaat’s Nazir Sadack, a women in her early 30s was the victim of a smash and grab attack at the M4 offramp towards Umdloti.
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“At about 6.30pm while she was waiting at the stop in front of the intersection, her passenger side window was smashed and her handbag stolen,” he told the Courier.
The man responsible then ran away with her handbag. Sadack said they suspected the same man had tried a similar attack earlier on Monday.
Fortunately, according to Sadack, the driver noticed the suspicious man approaching his vehicle and sped off before he could make his move.
“This used to be a much more prevalent issue, but in the last few years it died down a bit. Now it looks as though it is rearing its head once again.”
In many cases, the criminal stealthily approaches the stopped vehicle from the passenger window blind-spot.
Once they are close enough, they will smash the window and make off with whatever they can get their hands on.
Umhlali SAPS spokesperson Captain Vinny Pillay urged motorists to stay vigilant at all times.
“Keep your eyes open and be aware of your surroundings, don’t leave valuables such as handbags lying on the passenger seat. Also, approach stop streets slowly while keeping an eye out for suspicious characters.
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