Hijacker 'test drives' target
2004-10-08 08:46
Pretoria - "Have you ever been hijacked?" a prospective car-buyer asked a Menlyn Park salesperson before producing a gun and forcing her out of the luxury sports car.
He then drove off in the green Rover MG ZR, which sells for R180 000, after leaving the woman stranded next to the highway in Lynnwood.
The hijacker was undeterred that the salesperson had a copy of his driver's licence at the salesroom.
On Thursday, MG Rover staff in Menlyn Park were reluctant to talk to the media.
Inspector Percy Morokane said the salesperson had taken the man on a test drive.
On the N1 highway, the man stopped, produced his firearm and told the woman to get out of the car.
Colleagues had to collect her where she waited desolately at the side of the highway. She had no injuries, but the green car is still missing.
It was established that the same person had been on a test drive with a car from the Kia dealer situated near the Rover dealer.
However, the Kia sales consultant had kept the man's original drive's licence after making a copy.
The Kia consultant said: "He gave the impression of being a joller. I didn't have a good feeling about him."
The alleged car thief made straight for the woman consultant at the Kia dealer, but she asked one of her male colleagues to take him on a test drive as the man made her feel "uneasy".
Follow a specific route
While the woman was making a copy of the man's driver's licence, he and the consultant left for a test drive.
It is thought he had second thoughts because he had not got his original driver's licence back, or possibly he was wary of the male consultant.
"Normally we ask to keep the keys of a prospective buyer's own car and also hold the original driver's licence at the office until after the test drive," said one of the staff members.
They also follow a specific route to allow colleagues to check on them and sound the alarm if they are not back from a test drive after a certain time.
The police are on the look-out for Daniel Koekemoer, whom they believe can help them in their investigations.