Kimberley - A Kimberley woman was killed on Monday in a freak accident after she was run over by a family member who was apparently chasing a cellphone thief.
Gobi Mhiko, 58, was standing in the road following a commotion when she was hit by a reversing bakkie that was apparently being driven by her niece.
According to Mhiko’s sister, Fikile Landela, the family had come together at her house in Modise Street in Galeshewe on Sunday afternoon to discuss travel arrangements for an upcoming funeral.
“As everyone was getting ready to leave after the meeting, the daughter of our other sister, Sylvia Mhlongo, was talking on her cellphone. She went outside and was still talking on the phone when someone grabbed the phone out of her hand and ran away,” said Landela on Monday.
Mhlongo apparently then jumped into her bakkie and gave chase after the thief.
“She went around the block and was on her way back to the house when she spotted the thief and reversed. This is when the accident happened,” Landela said.
A neighbour and member of community crime-fighting group Wanya Tsotsi, Eric Halata, explained further that he had seen the bakkie drive past him at around 7pm.
“The children, who were standing on the back of the bakkie and who know that I am a member of Wanya Tsotsi, pointed out a person in the road as the cellphone thief. I shouted at the man to give the phone back that he had stolen. Mhiko and another neighbour, who were standing outside, came closer to where I was standing in the road,” said Halata.
He said that he suddenly saw the bakkie reversing towards them.
“The children who were at the back of the bakkie tried to alert the driver, Mhlongo, and get her to stop by banging on the roof of the cab.”
Halata said he managed to push the neighbour out of the way of the reversing bakkie and onto the pavement but when he then tried to grab Mhiko, to also push her out of the way, she slipped.
“The bakkie drove over her and dragged her a few metres.”
The accident happened on the corner of Modise and Molema streets in Galeshewe. It is believed that Mhiko died on the scene.
“The family were extremely traumatised. Everything happened so fast - it was just a split second,” Halata said.
He added that the person who stole the cellphone managed to escape after the accident happened.
“We know who he is but we are still looking for him,” Halata said.