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It’s been a month since Tiaan Coetzer and his wife had to fight for their lives.
On Monday, July 16, at about 5:45, Coetzer and his wife were nearly hijacked at their business premises in Robertsham, south of Johannesburg.
"We were only planning on making a quick stop at the office and then head home, but as we were approaching the gate we noticed an unfamiliar Audi following us."
Coetzer said they felt uneasy and decided to spring into action.
"My wife was in the driver's seat. We quickly knew what was about to happen."
The 33-year-old said rather than surrender, they decided to fight.
"We made a pact that we were in it to win it."
'There was no right decision'
When the scenario played out, Coetzer assumed the role of navigator.
As the men approached their car, he told his wife to reverse so they could make a dash for the gate.
"At this point, there was no right decision. Either we stayed and complied with the hijackers or we fight for our freedom."
Coetzer said they were apprehensive about staying because they didn’t know what else the hijackers would do to them.
They feared that if they got out of the car they would be killed.
Damages on car
He said they decided to use their car as a weapon to help them get out of the situation.
"The more criminals get away with it [crime], the more they will do it."
Coetzer acknowledges that they were lucky to make it out alive and that this approach may not work for everyone.
"We were making decisions from one split second to another."
The couple was able to escape the situation without sustaining any injuries, but their vehicle wasn’t as lucky.
There was damage to the side mirror, front bumper and dents on the body of the car.
Following the incident, the couple opened a case of attempted armed robbery with the Booysens SAPS.
They handed over both surveillance and dashcam footage. The assailants are still at large.
