South Africa: Hijackers Set SUV, Driver On Fire

Three armed suspects approached an SUV and forced the driver into the back seat, setting it on fire after it ran out of fuel.

A vehicle was set on fire by hijackers on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, close to Mount Moreland, KwaZulu-Natal, inflicting burns on a 53-year-old man's face and arm.

A member of Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) who was out on patrol in the area at the time of the fire discovered a Ford Ranger SUV completely engulfed in flames.

The RUSA officer called the Ethekwini Fire Department right away, who responded and put out the fire.

A later investigation found that four men in a white VW Golf kidnapped the victim near Waterloo.

His destination was the Sibaya Casino.

While the fourth suspect remained in their getaway car, the other three suspects approached his vehicle armed with firearms.

The victim turned on a security feature that cut off the vehicle's fuel supply.

He was thrown into the back of his SUV by the hijackers, who then took off in the direction of Umdloti.

The SUV started to run out of fuel as they got closer to the entrance to Mount Moreland.

Before the hijackers robbed the victim of his money, the driver veered off the main road and onto an unpaved path.

They lit the vehicle on fire after dousing it with an accelerant and then sped off in the VW Golf.

The victim allegedly rolled on the grass to put out the fire that had spread to his clothing after he was able to escape the burning car.

He then made a family call using his cellphone, which he had managed to hide from the suspects.

The victim was taken to a medical facility where he received treatment for burns to his lips, face, and arms before being taken to the Verulam SAPS.