A woman who was allegedly obstructing traffic on Monday in the Tshwane CBD left a VIP protector stranded in the inner city after she allegedly grabbed his vehicle’s keys and drove off.
According to the city, the VIP protector assigned to Tshwane city manager Johann Mettler was driving along Francis Baard Street approaching Thabo Sehume Street, when he came across the motorist who was allegedly obstructing traffic in a silver Mercedes-Benz sedan.
According to city spokesperson Selby Bokaba, the official activated a siren and directed the female motorist to move to avoid obstructing traffic, but she allegedly refused to comply.
“He stepped out of the vehicle, approached her and showed her his appointment certificate. He informed her that he was going to issue her with a traffic fine and while he was busy writing the fine she allegedly grabbed his vehicle’s keys from the ignition, drove off and left the police official stranded in the inner city,” Bokaba said.
The official called his supervisor and informed him of the incident.
“The supervisor, with freeway patrol, located the suspect through the vehicle’s tracking system and chased her on the R21 south. During the high-speed chase she allegedly kept ignoring the police’s instruction to bring her rental car to a halt but ultimately she stopped. After stopping, police politely requested her to hand over the keys of a state vehicle and she allegedly refused. She drove off again, apparently in a rush to catch a flight, and police gave chase and eventually apprehended her at OR Tambo International Airport,” she said.
Bokaba said the woman was taken to the Pretoria central police station where a case of common robbery and theft was opened against her and she was briefly detained.
He said the woman was later released and allegedly refused to sign the 299 form — a form completed when issuing SAPS 13 items to the owner.
“The keys of the state vehicle were recovered from the suspect who is a senior manager at a subsidiary of one of the water boards.
Bokaba said the city manager was engaged in a meeting at the office when the incident happened.
“His protector stayed behind in Pretoria to guard the vehicle while the suspect was being pursued by his colleagues,” Bokaba said.
TimesLIVE
Motorist leaves VIP protector stranded on the road after snatching his car keys
Image: 123RF/radututa/ File photo
A woman who was allegedly obstructing traffic on Monday in the Tshwane CBD left a VIP protector stranded in the inner city after she allegedly grabbed his vehicle’s keys and drove off.
According to the city, the VIP protector assigned to Tshwane city manager Johann Mettler was driving along Francis Baard Street approaching Thabo Sehume Street, when he came across the motorist who was allegedly obstructing traffic in a silver Mercedes-Benz sedan.
According to city spokesperson Selby Bokaba, the official activated a siren and directed the female motorist to move to avoid obstructing traffic, but she allegedly refused to comply.
“He stepped out of the vehicle, approached her and showed her his appointment certificate. He informed her that he was going to issue her with a traffic fine and while he was busy writing the fine she allegedly grabbed his vehicle’s keys from the ignition, drove off and left the police official stranded in the inner city,” Bokaba said.
The official called his supervisor and informed him of the incident.
“The supervisor, with freeway patrol, located the suspect through the vehicle’s tracking system and chased her on the R21 south. During the high-speed chase she allegedly kept ignoring the police’s instruction to bring her rental car to a halt but ultimately she stopped. After stopping, police politely requested her to hand over the keys of a state vehicle and she allegedly refused. She drove off again, apparently in a rush to catch a flight, and police gave chase and eventually apprehended her at OR Tambo International Airport,” she said.
Bokaba said the woman was taken to the Pretoria central police station where a case of common robbery and theft was opened against her and she was briefly detained.
He said the woman was later released and allegedly refused to sign the 299 form — a form completed when issuing SAPS 13 items to the owner.
“The keys of the state vehicle were recovered from the suspect who is a senior manager at a subsidiary of one of the water boards.
Bokaba said the city manager was engaged in a meeting at the office when the incident happened.
“His protector stayed behind in Pretoria to guard the vehicle while the suspect was being pursued by his colleagues,” Bokaba said.
TimesLIVE
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