Road rage: Polo driver comes forward

After last week’s article “Road rage drama in Ballito”, the driver of the red Polo, Johan Vorster, came forward to tell his side of the story.

In the previous article we quoted the police docket with both the Mercedes driver and Vorster’s version of events.

The docket reported that according to the Mercedes driver the Polo came speeding from behind, flashed his lights, overtook the Mercedes on the left, cut him off and the two vehicles then drove next to each other, drivers arguing, before coming to a standstill on the side of the road.

The docket said the Polo driver attempted to assault the Mercedes driver but missed him and hit the car instead.

Vorster insists he did not flash lights as he is prone to blowing the hooter and never flashes his lights. Vorster said he would not dare get involved in or instigate fights as he has a steel rod in his neck that renders him incapable of physical confrontation.

“I pulled over and walked towards the Mercedes to get the driver’s details when an SUV parked in between us. I thought is was someone who was going to help us but it turned out to be the Mercedes driver’s son and he was only there to defend his father,” said Vorster.

He said the SUV driver instructed his father to drive away as he blocked Vorster from getting past the SUV.

“I tried to take a picture of the Mercedes with my cellphone but I was not wearing my glasses and struggled to get to the camera function. When the young man saw me busy with my cell phone and heading for the Mercedes, he pepper sprayed me in my eyes and continued to empty the pepper spray can on the back of my head when I turned around to run back towards the SUV.”

Vorster said, blinded by pepper and in severe pain he ran into the SUV’s side mirror and somehow smashed one of the SUV’s windows and not the Mercedes’ as according to the police docket.

Vorster provided the Courier with a copy of the medical-legal examination form completed by an occupational medical practitioner that said he had suffered a “soft tissue injury sustained as a result of blunt trauma” to the right side forehead, right side chest and right elbow, in support of his version of events. He also showed the Courier the damage to his red Polo, highlighting the mark made by the Mercedes’ left front wheel as it slammed into the Polo on the driver’s side.