Hijackers flee as Nico erupts
2003-09-01 08:11
Bloemfontein - A medical student who describes himself as "quiet and peaceful", fought off five men with his bare hands when they tried to hijack his car.
Nico de Beer, a fifth-year medical student at the University of the Free State, was driving to Pelonomi Hospital when he stopped at a traffic light in Harvey Road. Suddenly. there were five men around his car.
"It was peak traffic and there were many people and cars about. I knew it was an unsafe area, but didn't think anything would happen.
"One of the men shattered a car window with a bat and grabbed my keys. I grabbed his arm and hit his head against the broken window."
Still holding the man, De Beer opened the door and yanked another man trying to flee closer, and hit him in the face with his fist.
He hit him so hard he still has teeth marks on his fist.
A third man attacked De Beer from the back and hit him on the shoulder, but De Beer knocked the man to the ground with his elbow.
Doesn't know where he got the courage
The other two men fled, leaving the three lying stunned in the street.
De Beer said: "It all happened so quickly. I stepped gingerly between them, got into my car and drove away."
De Beer, who says he isn't normally aggressive, says he doesn't know where he got the courage to do what he did.
"When you are in such a situation, you can do things you never dreamt of before. I'm happy everything worked out well."
De Beer, originally from Lichtenburg, says many medical students are attacked in the area. Women students working late, are particularly scared.