December, 2007
For many, the horror of being hijacked is often most vividly relived on the anniversary of the traumatic event. For one Tracker customer, however, that horror was relived all too literally when he was again hijacked in the same place, driving the same car, on the same day, during the same hour, exactly one year later.
In 2006, the customer was hijacked in the early hours of the morning (between 01h00 and 02h00) on November 25 while driving through Ka Nyamazane, in Mpumalanga, by three armed men. Tracker recovered the vehicle an hour later in White River.
Fast Forward to November 25, 2007 where the customer was again driving through Ka Nyamazane at approximately the same time where he was once again hijacked, this time by two armed men.
Tracker, together with the support of the SAPS, later recovered the vehicle in Matsulu and arrested two suspects.
The vehicle was tracked by no less than four vehicles (Tracker, SAPS Nelspruit Drug Squad, Dog Unit and Flying Squad) and one aircraft (SAPS Nelspruit Airwing) and was found parked on a residential property, allegedly owned by the two suspects. The hijacked vehicle's keys were also allegedly found inside the vehicle of one of the owners.
Says Tracker's Communications Manager, Gareth Crocker: "It's absolutely uncanny that our poor customer has had to experience this. You could say it's a case of lightning striking twice, only that this particular bolt of lightning struck the same person, on the same spot, at the same time, exactly one year later. It's one of the most remarkable recovery stories we've ever had."
Both suspects have been detained at the Matsulu Police Station.
For more information, please contact Gareth Crocker, Communications Manager for Tracker on gcrocker@tracker.co.za, (011) 380 0300 or 082 78 78 757.