An E-hailing Driver escaped an attempted vehicle hijacking after a passenger held a knife to his throat and robbed him in Phoenix - KZN today (Friday, 12/06/2026).
The victim arrived at the Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) Headquarters seeking assistance after escaping the attempted hijacking. He informed Officers that he had collected a passenger in Longcroft, Phoenix - KZN. The man claimed that he had no cash and requested to be transported to a nearby ATM to withdraw money.
The pair proceeded to a service station approximately 500 metres away. After returning to the white Renault Triber, the passenger informed the driver that there was a fault with the ATM and requested to be taken to another banking facility.
While travelling along Station Road, the man, who was seated in the rear of the vehicle, allegedly produced a knife and held it against the driver’s throat. He demanded that the driver stop before robbing him of R500 in cash and a Hisense cellphone. The victim was then instructed to exit the vehicle.
The driver switched off the vehicle and fled with the keys. The robber moved into the driver’s seat but realised that the keys had been removed. He subsequently abandoned the attempted hijacking and fled into nearby bushes. The victim sustained an injury to his right leg while escaping (picture 2).
Reaction Officers accompanied the victim to the area where he had initially collected the passenger. Residents informed Officers that no person matching the description provided resided in the area.
A search was conducted for the robber, however no arrests were made.
