Durban motorist recalls how Good Samaritan saved her from attack by knife wielding robber at a traffic light

Karen Singh|Published 2 years ago

Mia Lloyd tracked down the good Samaritan by posting a thank you message in the eThekwini Secure Facebook group. A map view of Albert Park. Picture: Screen grab from Google Maps

DURBAN - A Durban mother, who was attacked by a male robber armed with a knife at the Esplanade off-ramp traffic lights on the M4 northbound highway last week, has thanked another motorist for coming to her rescue.

Mia Lloyd, 30, was rushing to work in the city around 8am when she was attacked and almost robbed at the robots opposite Albert Park.

Recalling the events of the incident, Lloyd said her vehicle was in the left lane about five cars back at a red robot.

She said she noticed the man walking past her vehicle on the pavement.

Aware that the area was a crime hotspot, Lloyd began checking her blindspots, which had become routine.

Looking in her right mirror, she noticed the man coming towards her vehicle.

“By that time, he was already near the boot of my car. I quickly looked up to face him as I expected that he was coming for me. Unfortunately, my window was slightly open, enough for him to stick his hands in and force it down.”

Lloyd said she grabbed his arms and held on to him in fear that he might attack her in some way.

At this point, Lloyd said the suspect was talking to her.

“As I held on to him, I immediately started screaming for help. He started getting aggressive and swearing at me and speaking in Zulu.”

Moments later, she said the suspect managed to wriggle his right arm out of his jacket, and he attempted to pull her car keys out of the ignition.

Lloyd said a good Samaritan jumped out of his car, which was next to hers at the robot and attempted to scare the robber off.

“I heard him shouting at the perpetrator, and I made the mistake of letting his hands go thinking he would now leave me alone. It was at this point that the perpetrator pulled out a knife for me and flicked it open to attack me.”

Lloyd said the Good Samaritan pulled out his gun, and shouted for the guy to back off, and began running towards the suspect.

“He (the suspect) then ran across the front of my car, up the bank and through the broken fence line at Albert Park.”

The traffic light finally turned green, and traffic began to move again, she said.

She said she was grateful for the man’s help and for the other people who had also gotten out of their cars in the traffic when they saw her wrestling with the robber.

“If it wasn't for him, I don't know what else could've happened. I admire and appreciate his courage, and I am deeply thankful for his assistance.”

That day Lloyd posted a message in the eThekwini Secure Facebook group with a brief description of what happened and thanked the Good Samaritan and the others who also got out of their cars.

“I just want to find and thank the Muslim gentleman and his family, who jumped out of his white car immediately and, this, in turn, saved me from being attacked.”

Her post was shared 86 times, and eventually, the Good Samaritan reached out to her.

The Good Samaritan declined a request for comment.

Lloyd said her biggest hope following her traumatic experience is for the government to take crime, housing and unemployment rates more seriously.

“How is anyone supposed to feel safe when this has clearly gotten out of control. We need active policing. We need job creation. We need a clean, safe and working city.”