Gran takes out nine cars

2006-03-16 08:10

Marlise Scheepers

Johannesburg - An elderly woman crashed her car into no fewer than nine others at Rand Park Ridge here on Wednesday.

There was total chaos after 71-year-old Erika van Zijl smashed into the cars in a parking lot. Four of the cars, including her Volvo, had to be towed away.

A flabbergasted Robyn Fincham whose car also was damaged, said she couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the damage to all the cars.

Edmund Swanepoel, who heard the commotion, said he couldn't believe how much damage one car could cause in a single parking lot.

"I came out of the Lifestyle Nursery after I'd been shopping and saw the woman driving slowly into a parking bay in front of the nursery's main entrance.

"It looked like she wanted to park, but suddenly she put the car into reverse and raced backwards at a helluva speed.

Spun the wheels

"She smashed into a bakkie and a Renault," said Swanepoel.

"Then she put her car in first gear and drove forward at such speed that she spun the wheels.

"Then she hit a Toyota, but just carried on accelerating and pushed the car until it came to a halt against another car, a Mini Cooper.

"She put the car into reverse gear again and smashed simultaneously into a Pajero and an Opel Corsa.

"A security guard at the Lifestyle Nursery eventually turned up and pulled her car keys out of the ignition," said Swanepoel.

Soon after the accident, the elderly woman was taken by ambulance to a clinic in Johannesburg.

Clinic spokesperson Mark van Heerden said Van Zijl's condition was stable.

- Beeld