Share

Man in airport parking row with Uber driver dies

An elderly man who was caught up in a row over parking at OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) has died, police confirmed on Monday.

"The 71-year-old in the ORTIA assault incident has succumbed to his injuries yesterday [Sunday]," said police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Katlego Mogale.

"It it is probable that the charge will be changed after the detective returns from court this morning," she said.

READ: Uber removes driver from app after elderly man attacked

The elderly man became involved in a row of parking with an Uber driver at ORTIA on Sunday September 9 and was injured when the argument escalated.

Police spokesperson Brigadier Vish Naidoo said the driver was initially arrested for assault, and then when the severity of the old man's injuries became evident, the charge was changed to attempted murder.

The driver was held in custody and is expected to apply for bail in the Kempton Park Magistrate's Court on Monday.

"This is incredibly sad news, our hearts go out to the family and we will continue to stay in touch with them to offer our support," said Samantha Allenberg, spokesperson Uber Sub-Saharan Africa.

"We trust that law enforcement and the judicial systems will do their best to ensure that justice prevails. We stand ready to help police with any additional information needed for their investigation."

She said the driver, who had cleared background checks and had an above average rating until the incident, had already been removed from the app.

After receiving information on the afternoon of September 12 about the incident, the company handed what it had to law enforcement authorities.

The driver had no previous safety incidents.

She said that the driver was arrested on September 13, less than 24 hours of the information being handed over. 

* This article has been updated to reflect Uber comment on the death of the 71-year-old man.

KEEP UPDATED on the latest news by subscribing to our FREE newsletter.

- FOLLOW News24 on Twitter

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 425 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 603 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.92
+0.1%
Rand - Pound
23.88
+0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.39
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
+0.0%
Platinum
908.05
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.94
+1.3%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE