Two minibus passengers were killed in an alleged robbery on the N1 north of Pretoria late on Friday night.
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), the driver of a white Mercedes Benz Sprinter van pulled onto the shoulder of the N1, north of the Carousel Toll Plaza, to relieve himself.
It is alleged that four unknown men then came out of the bushes and attacked the occupants of the van. The victims were robbed of money and in the process two shots were fired, tragically killing both victims at the scene.
The SAPS said it was investigating a case of murder and robbery, with no suspects having been arrested as yet.
“The public is advised to be vigilant at all times when using the roads and to always use filing stations to rest or relieve themselves,” the local police service said in a statement.
Although earlier reports stated that this was a spiking incident, police later confirmed that no spiking was involved in this particular case.
Motorists are nonetheless urged to exercise caution, particularly when driving at night as Gauteng has experienced a concerning rise in road spiking incidents, where rocks or other objects are placed on the road to coerce motorists to stop.
These incidents commonly take place late at night or in the early hours of the morning when the roads are typically quiet. Known hotspots include the N4 between Pretoria and Bronkhorstspruit as well as the nearby R104, R566/M17 near Soshanguve, Ben Schoeman highway close to Jean Avenue, N14 close to R114 offramp, N1 just before Hammanskraal off-ramp and the N1 between Maraisburg and Soweto Highway.
IOL
Sources: SAPS, Live Traffic NPC