The hijackers drove into the Muizenberg railway bridge on Thursday morning. Picture: City of Cape Town
Cape Town – Police have arrested one of the men who hijacked and drove a delivery vehicle into the Muizenberg railway bridge on Thursday morning.
It is reported that the 27-year-old Langa resident hijacked and drove a truck allegedly belonging to retail company Takealot, along with another hijacker, who fled.
According to police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk, the delivery truck crashed into Atlantic Road bridge at about 9.45am on Thursday.
Van Wyk said a local security company arrested the driver who attempted to run away.
“It has subsequently been determined that the vehicle was hijacked in a Kirstenhof case; the 27-year-old male, a resident of Langa, was detained at Muizenberg SAPS.
“He will appear in court once charged,” he said.
We reached out to Takealot for a comment but they have yet to respond.
City’s safety and security Mayco member JP Smith said: “A goods vehicle collided with the Muizenberg railway bridge. While travelling at an increased speed and ignoring the flashing warning signs that their vehicle was over the height limit, the trailer compartment hit the bridge with considerable force.”
“Lifting the front of the truck and slamming the driver's compartment into the underneath of the bridge, both occupants were catapulted into the windscreen,” Smith said.
The injured occupants sat on the pavement as a crowd gathered, he said. Older markings on the truck’s windscreen were noted, indicating the truck had recently been hijacked, recovered, and booked into the SAPS holding yard.
“At this point, both occupants took off running in different directions, with one of the suspects heading back towards the main road where a getaway vehicle was waiting.
“The other suspect fled in the direction of Strandfontein but was quickly apprehended by one of the local security companies.
“It then emerged that the truck had been hijacked earlier in Ocean View,” Smith said.
Smith also said goods vehicles continued to be targeted by criminal syndicates.
"Recently, our SSIU (Safety and Security Investigation Unit) received information of a location in Airport Industria where such stolen goods were being kept and, after raiding the premises, was able to recover several consignments that were taken during various hijackings,” he said.
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