Johannesburg - A man is fighting for his life in hospital after being shot in the head during an alleged road rage incident.
It’s alleged that the man followed the driver of the car that had bumped into him to his home. When he arrived there, an argument ensued and he was shot in the head by the other driver.
Gauteng department of health spokesperson Steve Mabona confirmed that the man was admitted to a Johannesburg hospital where he was due for surgery soon.
“He sustained a serious wound to the head and will be operated on on Friday,” Mabona said.
The victim was allegedly driving his Toyota Corolla in Cosmo City at about 8.30pm on Wednesday when a man in a Nissan bakkie bumped into him.
Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini of the Gauteng police said they received information that the man in the bakkie carried on driving to his house in Cosmo City after bumping into the other car.
“The other driver followed him to his house. They stopped on the street outside the man’s house and they started arguing. During the argument, the man was shot,” Dlamini said.
He said police quickly arrived at the scene and arrested the man who now faced a charge of attempted murder. He was to appear in court soon.
Less fortunate
While the man is lucky to be alive, motorcyclist Douglas Pearce was less fortunate in 2014 after Meekahaefele Masooa shot him in an alleged road rage incident in Malibongwe Drive in Randburg.
However, Masooa claimed that it was in self-defence and that Pearce had been attacking him when his own firearm discharged. The two had an altercation that later led to Pearce, who also had a firearm that day, being shot.
A few months later on 9 November, motorist Mandla* sustained serious injuries when another driver Nicholas Gale attacked him with an axe in a road rage incident, also on Malibongwe Drive.
Mandla claimed the man had started by swearing at him, yelling at him as he drove alongside him and showing him the middle finger.
He said when he changed lanes, Gale overtook him and swore at him. When they stopped at a traffic light, Gale allegedly got out his car with an axe and started attacking Mandla, breaking his window.
“I was ducking from the blows of the axe when he struck my arm,” Mandla said. “I tried to flee. I put my car into reverse gear and hit his car.
“Then he lost it and started bashing my car with his axe,” Mandla said.
He put the car into first gear and fled the scene. Gale was later arrested.