/ 4 February 2003

Teenage driver trapped at 215km/h

A 19-year-old Cape Town motorist driving a BMW M3 was trapped at 215km/h on the N9 near Aberdeen on Monday, provincial traffic representative Tsepho Machaea said.

Machaea said Muneeb Ahmed, believed to be from Belville, who was travelling to Johannesburg from Oudtshoorn, was arrested following a high speed chase after he failed to stop.

He was taken to court in Graaff Reinet and given a fine of R8 000 for exceeding the 120 km/h speed limit on the N9 by 95 km/h.

”He was fined an additional R300 for failing to obey a lawful instruction by not stopping after being instructed to do so by a traffic official,” Machaea said.

According to Machaea, provincial traffic officer Kobus Nel, who is the acting station commander at Graaff-Reinet, was manning a speed trap about 14 kilometres from Aberdeen about 12.25pm.

”A car approached at high speed and when he saw 215km/h register on the Pro-Lazer speed trapping device he was using he attempted to wave the motorist down.

”Instead of stopping the motorist ignored the instruction and continued to drive on towards Graaff-Reinet,” Machaea said.

Nel gave chase and radioed the municipal traffic department in Graaff-Reinet for assistance.

”A roadblock was set up and the offending motorist was stopped and arrested and then handed over to Nel who arrived on the scene shortly afterwards,” Machaea said.

He was taken to court and released after paying the fine which was apparently set by the public prosecutor. – Sapa