Spiking leads to people getting hurt

Law enforcement authorities’ fight against so-called “spikers” – criminals who place spikes on the road to rob motorists – took a deadly turn when a police officer was shot and killed by one of them last week.

Last week Monday, the officer was killed and another wounded while patrolling for “spikers” along the N4, near the Solomon Mahlangu on-ramp.

At around 01:00, two constables from Boschkop police station were patrolling the spiking hotspots when they spotted a white VW Polo, without registration plates, travelling in the vicinity.

“The officers ordered the driver of the VW Polo to stop and approached the vehicle on foot,” said national police spokesperson Brigadier Vish Naidoo.

“Two male suspects emerged from VW Polo and a scuffle ensued between the suspects and the two constables.

“Both constables were shot and their firearms were taken.”

READ MORE: Law enforcement continues their search for ‘spike gang’ operating in Pretoria

Naidoo said one constable died at the scene while the second officer was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound to his leg.

He said the pair were discovered by TMPD officials and other SAPS officers who had also been patrolling in the area.

“The patrols are done by SAPS in conjunction with the TMPD. The TMPD officers found them and minutes later another SAPS vehicle that was patrolling also arrived,” he said.

Naidoo appealed to anyone who may have any information on the whereabouts of these suspects to contact the police.

A day later in the same area, TMPD officers, who were patrolling the N4, assisted a motorist who was left stranded after their vehicle was caught in a spike trap.

The members noticed a vehicle had stopped on the side of the road with its hazard lights on near the Solomon Mahlangu Drive off-ramp.

Spokesperson Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said officers found that one of the vehicle’s tyres hit the spikes on the road.

“The officers called for back-up to check for criminals that could still be nearby as the motorist was fortunately not robbed,” he said.

“The nearby area was searched but no one was found. The officers then assisted the motorist to change the tyre.”

The motorist explained he had driven into something that looked like a plastic bag when he heard the puncture.

“These spikes are usually placed by criminals to force vehicles to stop. Motorists are then attacked by these perpetrators, especially at night and in the early hours of the morning,” he said.

For months Pretoria motorists have been plagued by criminals placing spikes or objects on public roads with the intention of robbing them.

In the past weeks, more spiking incidents have surfaced in various parts of the metro, with three of the identified hotspots being in the east of Pretoria particularly along the N4.

The N4 Mpumalanga to Pretoria between Solomon Mahlangu and Watermeyer off-ramp, N1 Polokwane N4 Mpumalanga interchange in Pretoria, as well as the N4 Pretoria to Mpumalanga between Bronkhorstspruit and Balmoral off-ramp, are some of the known hotspots.

Other hotspots include the N4 to Rustenburg between R80 Mabopane freeway and Brits Plaza tollgate, the Golden highway and R21 freeway from OR Tambo international airport to Pretoria.

Another emerging trend is heavy objects are being thrown from overhead bridges, resulting in motorists losing control of their vehicles and crashing their vehicles before being robbed.

Gauteng Traffic police spokesperson Sello Maremane said robbers usually targeted quiet roads where they could rob motorists of their cash and other belongings.

He said they have noted a rise in such incidents, some of them in which motorists lost their lives.

“These incidents happen especially on Friday evenings and throughout the weekend between 18:00 and 04:00 in the morning.”

Naidoo said with police and TMPD patrols, incidents have reduced drastically. He said patrols would continue.

Gauteng traffic police’s advice on what to do when a vehicle has been spiked:

– Never stop your vehicle if you get a puncture; instead drive slowly to the nearest garage, while contacting the Gauteng Traffic Police.
– If you are stopped by a traffic officer, demand to see their appointment certificate to verify whether such an officer is employed by the relevant traffic authority.
– In case the officer fails to produce his or her appointment certificate, take down the registration number of the patrol vehicle and report them immediately at the nearest police station.
– If your vehicle has had a complete breakdown on the road, remain in the vehicle with your car doors locked while seeking assistance.
– Do not allow any person to tow your vehicle without written permission.
– Should you see that another motorist has been spiked, kindly stop and give the necessary assistance.

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