Engineer attacked and stabbed in ambush

● Shot fired after rubble placed strategically on road by hijackers forces motorist to stop

A Uitenhage businessman narrowly escaped with his life after he was hijacked and stabbed repeatedly with a broken bottle following an ambush on the R334 between Coega and Motherwell.

The 60-year-old engineer was attacked at midday on Monday after he was forced to a stop by rubble placed strategically across the road.

The man, who lives in Amsterdamhoek, managed to fire one shot with his firearm before the robbers wrestled it away.

Similar hijackings and robberies have taken place along the R334 in recent years.

In some of them, stray animals were used as an obstruction on the road, with motorists attacked when they stopped to avoid hitting them.

In Monday’s hijacking, the businessman was stabbed multiple times in the upper body and arm, and thrown into the back of his Amarok bakkie.

However, he jumped out of the bakkie and escaped.

The man was operated on in hospital on Monday night and is still recovering.

An official close to the case said: “He stopped when he came across rubble that was scattered across the road.

“As he stopped, two men ran out from the bushes and attacked him.

“His driver-side window was down and the men used a broken bottle neck to stab him several times in the upper body.

“During the attack, the man managed to reach into the cubbyhole for his firearm.”

The official said the driver fired one shot in defence.

“It is unknown if he hit any of the suspects at this stage.

“It is suspected one could have been shot in the hand.

“The attackers then wrestled the firearm out of his hand and forced him out of the vehicle,” the official said.

“They threw him into the back of the bakkie and drove onto a nearby gravel road.”

Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge said the man had jumped out of the moving bakkie and run into the bushes. “The suspects stopped the bakkie and gave chase.

“The victim, however, managed to run into the bush and circle back to the bakkie while being chased,” Beetge said.

“The keys were still inside the vehicle and he sped off, leaving the attackers behind.”

The injured man drove to the Swartkops police station for help.

“By chance, an ambulance was at the police station and [ambulance staff] treated the man before rushing him to hospital,” Beetge said.

He said the bottle neck used in the attack had still been in the bakkie.

“The vehicle was impounded for forensic evidence.”

The man’s daughter said the family was shaken by the attack.

“When he got to hospital, the doctors actually said it was amazing that he got away and managed to drive, due to the blood loss.

“While driving, he kept losing consciousness,” she said.

“He is on morphine and still a bit out of it at the moment.”

Since 2014, there have been several attacks on motorists on the R334.

In August 2015, a Uitenhage restaurant owner was stabbed 12 times and robbed when he stopped on the roadside near Motherwell.

The motorist described the attack as a swift and wellplanned ambush, with the hijackers lying in wait nearby.

In several other incidents, cattle were chased into the road to force motorists to stop.

Police warned motorists to avoid using the road or to turn around if they spotted cattle or rubble in the road.

Beetge said although there had been no incidents in recent months, patrols had been increased in the area following Monday’s attack.