Hero driver foils CIT heist with daring Mega City Mall escape
The cash-in-transit van after the driver decided to drive into Mega City Mall in Umlazi in his successful bid to evade the armed robbers on Wednesday morning.
Image: Supplied
A QUICK-THINKING cash-in-transit (CIT) driver pulled off a daring escape from armed robbers by veering into the busy Mega City Mall in Umlazi, south of Durban, on Wednesday morning.
The Daily News understands that the heist was thwarted when the driver, employed by Fidelity Security Group, sped into the shopping centre's passenger area, forcing the would-be robbers to abandon their mission.
Although no fatalities were confirmed, three of the guards reportedly sustained injuries during the dramatic chase.
ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garith Jamieson said: “Paramedics found three occupants in the vehicle who sustained minor to moderate injuries.”
The video of the early morning incident has been widely circulated on social media, with the driver being praised for his quick thinking after he decided to drive through the mall, which services the vast uMlazi township, Lamontville and Isipingo, among others.
Three guards were injured during the intense chase, though no fatalities were reported. Jamieson confirmed: “Paramedics found three occupants in the vehicle who had sustained minor to moderate injuries.”
A taxi driver who witnessed the dramatic scene described it as “something out of a movie.”
“I was waiting for passengers when I saw the van speeding towards the mall with a private vehicle in hot pursuit. The chase ended abruptly when the van entered the mall with people scattering in panic,” said the driver, who asked to remain anonymous due to his safety concerns.
While no shots were fired inside the mall, chaos erupted as shoppers and employees scrambled for safety.
The cash-in-transit van after the driver decided to drive into Mega City Mall in Umlazi in his successful bid to evade the armed robbers on Wednesday morning.
Image: Supplied
“If it weren’t for the driver’s quick decision, this could have ended in tragedy,” added the driver.
This incident comes amid a spike in CIT heists across KwaZulu-Natal. In March alone, two brazen attacks shocked the province, prompting increased police presence and investigations.
At the time, police said they were hunting 10 suspects linked to another recent CIT robbery on Selby Msimango Road, Pietermaritzburg, where a guard was shot and firearms were stolen.
Law enforcement in the province had pledged to intensify efforts to crack down on the rising wave of cash-in-transit crimes sweeping the province.
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