Cape Town traffic arrests: Four drivers nabbed for street racing and drunk driving

Traffic Services had a busy early morning on Saturday, 26 September, after officers dealt with alleged street racing, crashes and drivers caught behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol, ***Cape {town} Etc ***reports.

At about 03:00, the Highway Unit was responding to a truck crash on the N1 outbound near the Koeberg Interchange when CCTV operators spotted three vehicles allegedly racing from the CBD along FW de Klerk Boulevard.

The situation quickly escalated when a Mercedes-Benz crashed into a stationary Highway Patrol vehicle at the truck accident scene, causing significant damage to the municipal vehicle.

CCTV footage was used to identify all three vehicles, and all three drivers were arrested.

One driver faces charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving and illegal street racing. The other two drivers, both reportedly driving GTIs, were arrested for reckless driving and illegal street racing.

Mayco member for Safety and Security Alderman JP Smith said all three vehicles were towed and impounded under the applicable Traffic By-law.

The cases are being processed at Maitland SAPS, with the City’s Investigation Unit also activated to assist SAPS detectives.

By around 05:00, the day-shift Highway Unit had taken over the scene and temporarily closed the road to allow the crashed truck to be recovered.

Traffic was diverted through Paarden Eiland, with the closure marked using cones and blue lights.

Despite the warning, a BMW M40 allegedly drove through the road closure.

No one was injured and no vehicles were damaged, but the driver was found to be under the influence of alcohol.

The driver was arrested for driving under the influence and reckless and/or negligent driving. The BMW was also impounded for allegedly contravening the applicable Traffic By-law.

That brought the morning’s tally to four drivers arrested and four vehicles impounded.

The City says the vehicles will remain in the municipal pound while the respective cases are finalised.

Traffic Services also says it is maintaining a zero-tolerance approach to illegal street racing and driving under the influence.

CCTV, drones, vehicle dash cameras and body-worn cameras are among the technology being used to identify dangerous driving and gather evidence that can support prosecutions.

For Cape Town motorists, the incidents also highlight how quickly reckless driving can become a danger to people working at crash scenes or responding to emergencies.

As Smith put it, the message from Traffic Services remains straightforward: Cape Town’s roads are not racetracks.

In an unrelated operation, LEAP members also made arrests during two patrols targeting illegal firearms and drugs.

In Voorbrug on Friday, members were flagged down by residents who alerted them to a property in Hartzenberg Street. Officers recognised the premises from previous operations conducted with SAPS and the SANDF.

During an unannounced visit, members encountered a 42-year-old man allegedly attempting to bury a package in the backyard.

Officers subsequently recovered an unlicensed firearm and 800 Mandrax tablets.

The following day in Mitchells Plain, LEAP members reportedly pursued a male suspect into a property in Finch Way. He was apprehended, with officers recovering 191 Mandrax tablets and 200 packets of Tik.

The suspect allegedly told officers that he was storing the drugs on behalf of the OTF gang.

Both suspects were handed over to SAPS, which will conduct the further investigations and prepare the dockets for consideration by prosecutors within the National Prosecuting Authority.

The operations form part of the City’s ongoing patrol and enforcement work, although criminal investigations and prosecutions remain the responsibility of SAPS and the NPA.

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Picture: JP Smith / Facebook

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