Two men were arrested after their vehicle crashed into a tree at Makro’s exit in Centurion on Tuesday morning. The men, aged 30 and 36, from Soweto, allegedly tried to steal a parked car in the Makro parking lot when a member of the public noticed the attempted theft.
The men jumped in their getaway vehicle, a silver Polo Volkswagen, and tried to flee the scene. As the men drove towards the exit of the parking lot, their car crashed into an oncoming vehicle, and they lost control over the vehicle and collided with a tree.
The security officers at Makro reacted swiftly and arrested the suspects, who were held in custody until the police arrived at the scene. The driver of the other vehicle involved in the collision, Charl Gonin, said he saw the men driving at a high speed. “I immediately knew what was happening and tried to swerve out of the way.” The right back door of his Golf is dented. According to the police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Antoine Botha, the silver Polo Volkswagen was reported stolen in Moroka, Soweto earlier in January.
The men were also charged with possession of stolen property, reckless and negligent driving as well as the attempted theft of a vehicle. Botha said no weapons were found on the scene. The suspects will appear in court later this week.
