A man who was allegedly trying to steal a cable from the back of a moving truck died after he landed under its wheels.
The boef took a chance when he saw the wire connecting the trailer to the truck and climbed on it.
A witness on the scene in Beaconvale says the deceased slipped and fell underneath the heavy vehicle and was crushed by the large wheels.
The 32-year-old man was declared dead at the scene.
A video with a description of the incident was shared on traffic and crime groups on social media.
The man on the 58-second clip says: “One of these ouens grabbed a cable from the truck, the cable that connects the truck to the trailer. And as he jumped off the truck, he hit his head on a yellow thing on the truck and fell under the wheels. And there he is.”
The clip shows where the man’s body lay in the street as police scour the scene for evidence.
A community leader in the Parow area, who chose to remain anonymous, was shocked, saying: “We have never heard of anything like this and I guess truck drivers will now have to be vigilant.
“Usually one would hear about cables being stolen from electrical poles or buildings and now the thieves have moved on to trucks. What next?
“We can’t expect the driver to be arrested for this because he didn’t do anything wrong.
“We wish to warn people to refrain from such dangerous things like climbing on moving trucks because the same thing might happen to them.”
Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirms the incident: “Parow police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 32-year-old man on Tuesday, January 2, on the corner of Beacon Way and Jan Smuts.
“According to reports, the victim was on the trailer of a truck when he tried to jump off and hit his head against a piece of iron attached to the truck.
“The victim landed under the wheels of the truck and was declared deceased on the scene by paramedics. Parow police registered a culpable homicide case for investigation.”
Anyone with any information about this incident can contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za