Accident victims robbed as they lay dying

Jeff Wicks, The Witness

Durban - Two badly injured men were dragged from the mangled wreckage of their car and mugged of their possessions before being left to die on the pavement.

This after their car had careened over a pavement and destroyed a tree before skidding to a halt on its side on Sydenham Hill near Durban’s Botanic Gardens.

The entire shocking accident was recorded on the city’s CCTV camera network.

Carnage

What is more shocking is that, before the dust had settled, a car stopped and its occupants dragged the injured men from the car.

Footage is understood to show men rifling through the accident victims’ pockets and through the wrecked car before they sped away.

With damning video in hand, the hunt is now on for the thieves as police detectives trace the offending car.

RescueCare spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said that paramedics had been confronted with a scene of carnage.

“Paramedics arrived to find the vehicle on its side with the two occupants on the roadway. Paramedics rushed to assess the injured, however, found they had sustained serious injuries and had passed away before they could help.

"The vehicle had sustained extensive damage as it had collided with a tree before coming to rest,” he said.

Theft from crash victims

Jamieson said that theft from crash victims was not uncommon.

“We often see cases like this and it is abhorrent. People are often trapped and injured in their cars and thieves take advantage of that to rob them blind.”

Jamieson said that theft from freight vehicles that crashed had also become a significant problem.

Police spokesperson Captain Thulani Zwane said the police are investigating. No arrest has been made yet.