Crash and airbags end teen's 168km/h GTI joyride

A 16-year-old Tshwane boy who crashed during a 168km/h joyride in a 60km/h zone after allegedly taking his parents' hot-hatch without permission will appear in court on Wednesday.

The boy‚ who cannot be named as he is a minor‚ will appear in the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court in the afternoon‚ said police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo.

Ofentse Morwane‚ spokesperson for the Gauteng department of Community Safety‚ said the teen will face charges of reckless and negligent driving‚ exceeding the general speed limit of 60km/h‚ driving without a driver’s licence and defeating the ends of justice.

Photographs of the white vehicle‚ later identified as a Golf GTI ‚ which crashed into a concrete barrier‚ with its airbags deployed‚ were shared on social media. The turbo-charged hatch sprints to 100km/h in under seven seconds but the driver was unable to escape from the Gauteng Traffic Police High Speed Unit who gave chase on the R55.

“Preliminary reports indicate that the boy stole his father’s VW golf GTI and used it without permission [on Tuesday].

“Upon noticing the… speeding car the officers activated blue lights and siren and tried to stop the car. The driver tried to speed away and hit the barriers at a construction area‚” said Morwane.

After his arrest‚ the teen was detained at Erasmia police station and his father was called. He was released later on Tuesday into the custody of his parents.

“Through our law enforcement operation the Department of Community Safety will continue to ensure those who do not obey the rules of the road are apprehended and face the full might of the law.

“Speeding contributes significantly to the fatalities on our roads and it’s important that our law enforcement agencies deal accordingly with such road users‚” said Morwane.