Call of nature almost fatal

2006-06-23 21:56

Borrie la Grange

Johannesburg - A Gauteng man's decision to heed the call of nature almost cost him his life.

The attack on Dignis Walters, 56, happened a day before the murder of Cape journalist Megan Herselman on the N1 south highway.

Walters says he stopped along the N3 at the London Road off-ramp near Alexandra to take a piddle at about 19:30.

He was on his way to Edenvale.

"I had just got back into my car and locked the doors, when my window was smashed in.

"There were three men.

"One ran around to the passenger's side and shot at me through the window."

The robbers opened the door on the passenger's side and pulled Walters from the vehicle.

They immediately emptied his pockets and took R800.

At that stage, Walters was unaware that he'd been shot in the leg.

"While they were still busy, I decided to make a dash for it."

He crossed the highway and ran for about a kilometre along the N3 north.

"Then I saw a car going in reverse in the same direction that I was running on the opposite side of the road.

"It was the robbers"

Walters fled into the veld next to the road and only then realised that he'd been wounded.

He kept running until he saw a petrol station on the other side of a vlei.

"I started feeling weak, but realised I just had to keep running because those guys were intent on killing me."

When Walters, covered in blood, arrived at the petrol station a motorist there phoned an ambulance.

The robbers left Walters' car next to the road.

Police spokesperson Sefako Xaba confirmed the attack.

- Beeld