A motorist who fell victim to a suspected spiking on the R35 between Middelburg and Bethal said if it was not for the precautionary measures he took, things could have turned out differently for him.

A few months back, the motorist, who requested to stay anonymous, went to a business in Middelburg that put a green type of slime inside the wheels of cars that prevent punctures. Last month, he put on run-flat tyres on his car’s front wheels.

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On February 7, he drove over suspected spikes placed on the road and the precautionary measures saved the day.

He was travelling to a friend in Bethal and about 7km after Komati Power Station he heard a funny clack-clack-clack sound coming from the left rear of his car.

“I pulled off the road and put on my car’s hazard lights. I saw that the left rear tire was flat. Initially, I thought that it was just a normal puncture and I took out a canister of Tire Jack and injected it into the left rear wheel. I saw that the foam of the Tire Jack was coming out of the tire. I realised there was a wide stripe of green slime on the inside of the wheel well. This is not a normal puncture but a large hole that must have been caused by something large and that it is most probably a spiking incident.”

The motorist took out his wallet and car keys to put them on his car’s roof.

“We were taught by a police anti-hijacking instructor at work to do this. I walked across the road and then walked for another 50m and I hid in the tall grass on the farm.”

Still hidden in the tall grass, he phoned the AA to send a security guard and roadside assist to change the tyre.

“Because I have a hernia and the doctor said that I should not lift anything heavier than 5 kg, I requested help. I think my car’s spare wheel weighs about 15kg.”

He also sent a WhatsApp to the N4 Spiking Prevention Group, asking for assistance.

“I realised that I was about 40 km away from the N4 on the R35 and that there was a possibility that it was out of range for them, but they did dispatch someone to assist me. After waiting for 20 minutes to give the possible hijackers a chance to take my wallet and my car, and leave me alone, I realised that I heard no voices and no shouting so far.”

The motorist noticed that the green slime oozed out slowly from the large hole in the tyre and prevented the air from escaping immediately, which gave him enough time to drive out of range of the hijackers.

Not long afterward, the N4 Spiking Prevention Group arrived, and the tyre was changed.

Shortly after that, the AA roadside assist also arrived.

“I donate R100 each month to the N4 Spiking Prevention Group and at the end of this month, I am going to give them an extra-large contribution because they did dispatch someone to assist me,” the man said.

Spiking incidents are increasing, and it is a good idea to join groups like the N4 Spiking Prevention Group, which is quick to respond to any emergency.

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