NICHOLAS Thawnarian and Abbygale Moodley were extremely lucky to escape serious injury or even death when a log was thrown at their vehicle on the N2 freeway near the Ilfracombe bridge on Thursday night last week.
Due to load shedding, the couple had driven to Ultra City in Umgababa to get something for supper.
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It was while they were returning home at around 8pm that the criminals struck.
“We were about to go under the bridge when all of a sudden we experienced what we initially thought was an explosion,” said Nicholas.
“A huge log had been thrown from the bridge onto our vehicle, shattering the windscreen and leaving the inside of the car littered with shards of glass.”
Abbygale was unharmed but Nicholas suffered a few minor scratches from the broken glass.
“I didn’t want to stop the vehicle on the freeway because the people who threw the log could have ambushed us,” he said.
He remained calm and drove to the Umkomaas police station.
“I explained what happened to the officers on duty. They checked whether we were okay and noted the damage to our vehicle.”
A unit from the police station went to the scene but found no one in the vicinity of the bridge.
The couple said that even though their vehicle was badly damaged, they felt extremely lucky to have been unharmed.
Nicholas warned motorists to be cautious and alert when driving under bridges, especially at night.
Umkomaas Saps communications officer, Captain Ismail Shaik, urged motorists to report all such incidents to the police.
“It is important that every incident which occurs in an area is recorded in order to determine if there is a pattern,” he said.
“Report suspicious people or groups which gather along the freeway. Stone throwing is very common from bridges, and criminals can resort to using objects such as logs and which can cause extensive damage.”
Captain Shaik added that people who fall victim to this type of attack should not stop their vehicle, but should for their own safety make their way to the nearest police station.
“When travelling on the freeway, drive at a reasonable speed and always be aware of your surroundings,” he said.
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