Good Samaritans mistaken for hijackers
A truck was hijacked in Marburg and the victims locked up in the back.
A 21-YEAR-OLD volleyball player claims he and his friend were victims of mistaken identity, when they assisted three hijacking victims in Marburg last Thursday.
The man from Palmview attends volleyball training at the Marburg Sports Complex every Thursday. At about 8pm, the two men went to the nearby shops, and on their return to the volleyball courts, they heard noises coming from a truck parked facing the sports grounds.
“We went to check and noticed the keys in the truck, doors open and lights on. We then heard people banging on the truck, calling for help. We opened the back of the truck and three men came out. They were explaining that they had been hijacked in Watterson Street at about 7pm by men with firearms,” said the volleyballer.
Police spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel Zandra Wiid said police at Port Shepstone had been informed about a truck belonging to a company in Durban and thought to have been hijacked, which was parked at a sports ground in Marburg.
“The driver and two conductors were locked in the back of the truck. When police arrived, members of the public were seen outside the truck. Police warned them to surrender, at that stage thinking they were the hijackers. The good Samaritans ran,” said Lt-Col Wiid.
Warning shots were fired by police. It was only when the volleyballer tripped and fell that he noticed he was being pursued by the police and surrendered.
He was handcuffed but help soon arrived in the form of an off-duty policeman who also attended volleyball training at the sports grounds, and the victims of the hijacking, who confirmed that the volleyballer and friends had been attempting to help.
A case of armed robbery is under investigation and no arrests have been made.
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