Lehsa Kinnear (23) was on her way home from work on Monday evening [November 30] when she narrowly avoided an armed attack near Samora, Philippi.
In a Facebook post, Kinnear detailed how she was lucky to escape with her life.
“I was coming home from work en route home as usual using the N2 onto Jakes Gerwel I was driving very vigilantly like I always do. As I passed the Hanover park turn off on the right before getting the Samora robot, there were rocks in the road,” said Kinnear.
There were rocks covered with black plastic bags which camouflage them and she struggled to see the objects because the road itself is poorly lit.
“As I approached the long stretch before the Samora bridge, by the time I realised there was a rock I already knocked it. The airbags deployed in my face and chest and because of the impact the back of my car went in the air causing my head to knock against the roof of the car.
“I knew I couldn’t stop there so I tried to keep the car going, I geared down to keep the car going but to my surprise the car was slowly coming to a stop. I got a burning smell & rolled down my window, I was afraid that my car might set alight,” she said.
When her car, which is a write-off, came to a standstill Kinnear said she tried to call for help but couldn’t find her cell phone.
“I tried to get someone’s attention to help me by putting my upper body out of the window. I was trying to find my phone too but I couldn’t. I realised somethings going to happen or go down and I needed to do something.”
Two male drivers were passing by and stopped to help her.
“They came past just before my car stopped moving and told me to try to keep the car moving because it’s a dangerous place to stop & I need to try to get home.”
She said she told them that her car was badly damaged and all she needed was her phone to get ahold of a family member. The two men were hesitant to leave her and called the police.
“A motorbike also pulled up on the side then drove off, probably to notify the traffic services that stand at the Caltex garage. I got out of my car and walked to the guys car. It was a very paranoid kind of moment because you’re not sure who’s going to jump out of the bush and try something as it was only the two cars stationed in the middle of nowhere.”
She got into the car of one of the men who had stopped offered to take her home. He then collected her personal items from her car while she waited in his.
“This was also a back and forth situation as he came back every time he heard or saw movement. He got my things and we drove off.”
She contacted her brother on the way home and explained what had happened. En route to her house Kinnear and the man assisting her stopped at the Caltex to tell the officer stationed there what had happened.
“As we drove past the Caltex, we notified the officers what happened and they said they did get the call and they just sent a van down.”
She was dropped off at home where her two brothers and cousin were waiting for her. The family then returned to the scene.
“When we got to the scene there was another car that the same thing happened to after we left the scene and he was robbed by 4 or 5 guys that had knives. They took his belongings and supposedly attacked and stabbed him.”
She said that another car after this was also attacked and robbed. “After giving my statement and waiting for the tow truck to get my car I went home. The adrenaline rush was over and my head started pounding and was very tender.”
She alleged that the officer on the scene said that this had never happened before as there are often patrol cars monitoring the area.
“One of the officers mentioned that this had never happened before as they patrol the area and it’s the first incident that took place there, but this is not the case after the post I shared went viral it’s been happening to people and nothings been done about it.”
On person commented on her Facebook post saying that the same thing happened to their father in the same spot.
When Kinnear returned home she said she began to feel chest pains and so her brother took her to the hospital immediately. Despite her car being written off, Kinnear said still has her life and for that she is grateful.
Picture: Pexels