‘Bolt driver wanted to abduct us’: Women jump out of moving car
|Published
SKRIK: Medics in Halt Road innie Elsies River
Police are investigating a case of kidnapping after a Bolt driver allegedly tried to abduct two female passengers.
Milleston Sass and her friend were forced to jump out of a speeding vehicle after their driver allegedly refused to stop the taxi.
Milleston, 25, says her trip from Bishop Lavis to Elsies River last Tuesday ended with her hitting her head on the road and the driver speeding off.
Bolt has confirmed that the driver has been suspended.
Milleston says they made the desperate decision to jump because they believed the driver was busy abducting them.
“I redirected the driver to a shorter route to our destination but he assured me that he knows the area,” she explains.
“I could see that he was driving in a different direction and I panicked. At the time he was driving down Halt Road and we were supposed to get off at Osman’s BP garage on Owen Road.
“He needed to go to the garage even though there is an Engen opposite Osman’s.”
She alerted her friend that they were in danger.
“I texted my friend who was sitting next to me and I told her the driver had missed our stop and that we needed to jump out,” she says.
“I looked at the traffic behind us to determine when I could open the door to jump.
“I realised that the driver is in the middle lane although he said he needed to go to the garage that was on the right.
“When I opened the door, the driver looked at me, I jumped out and my foot slipped on the ground as the car was speeding up.”
The Elsies River woman says her friend jumped too.
“She saw I tumbled on the ground and crawled to the sidewalk and she jumped out on the right.
“She ran towards me, that’s when she witnessed me get a seizure and pass out.
“A man standing on the sidewalk called the ambulance. My friend escaped with a swollen ankle and no other injuries.”
Milleston tells the Daily Voice the driver sped off.
“I might have a hole in my head but I’m good. I need to get my stitches removed on June 3.
“This is a message to all women out there: always be aware of your surroundings, be aware of the driver’s movements and behaviour, and put your life first.”
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi confirms: “A case of kidnapping was registered this morning, Tuesday, 31 May for further investigation.”
Takura Malaba, country manager for Bolt in South Africa, says they have suspended the driver.
“Bolt has not received any reports through the Bolt app or by email [email protected] about two women who jumped from a moving vehicle in Elsies River.
“However, as a precautionary measure, Bolt has suspended the driver that they implicated in the incident, pending further investigation.
He added: “The ride was hailed by a friend of the two women – and not on either of their own Bolt profiles. When individuals raise an incident through third parties, it is extremely difficult for us to get the facts quickly.”
He said Bolt would be in touch with the two women, and also assist police with the investigation.