Tow-truck companies in Johannesburg have dealt with several incidents of motorists who had their cars damaged by rocks placed on the N14.
Fanie Smith, from First Road Emergency Services, said the old practice of placing rocks on the highway has been on the rise in the past few weeks.
On Sunday, Stephen Rodgers’s car hit a rock on the N14 and went airborne, damaging one of the wheels as it landed.
Smith was among several tow truck drivers who arrived at the scene on the N14 on Sunday, where about 30 vehicles were damaged.
“We helped some of the motorists change their wheels. Police also arrived and gave us a hand. Some who could not drive their cars organised to be picked up while their cars where towed away,” Smith said.
Some of the motorists were so traumatised that they abandoned their cars and ran for their lives.
“There was a Mercedes-Benz that was abandoned at the scene and was only towed away the following day,” Smith said.
On Monday at the same spot another car was damaged by rocks on the road, he said.
“There have been several incidents on the N14. I can’t count how many people I have attended to,” Smith said.
He had also attended to several similar incidents on the N14 near the R511, near Diepsloot, he said. - The Star