Vaal – Truckers are being urged to remain vigilant when they experience breakdowns on the roadside, particularly near the Vaal Toll Plaza on the N1, after tyre thieves struck a stranded truck and assaulted a technician in the early hours of Monday morning.
The incident occurred about 200 metres from the tollgate facing Bloemfontein, where a truck had been left overnight awaiting parts.
“Mechanics worked on it till 23:30 last night and we had to wait till this morning for parts,” the truck owner told SA Trucker.
At around 03:30, two suspects attempted to strip tyres from the immobilised vehicle but were chased away.
The owner explained: “I arranged a technician to fit back the tyres. At 04:00 five of them returned and beat up the technician trying to fit the tyres back onto our vehicle and got away with two tyres on rim.”
The brazen attack left the technician injured and the truck still vulnerable at the roadside.
Watch: Thieves strip truck of 24 wheels
Following the incident, SA Trucker is warning transporters to consider engaging the police or private security in the event of roadside breakdowns to avoid falling victim to tyre thieves.
Already burdened with the challenges of a breakdown, truckers are urged not to allow criminals to make matters worse.
The N1 stretch near Vaal Toll Plaza is increasingly being recognised as a hotspot for opportunistic criminals targeting stranded vehicles. Trucking stakeholders are calling on authorities to step up patrols and improve roadside security to safeguard drivers and their cargo.
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