Daughter rushes to dad’s defence after footage goes viral
A YOUNG accident victim at the centre of a filmed “road-rage” assault has come out in defence of what is believed to be her father, who allegedly beat a driver in full view of other motorists on one of Port Elizabeth’s busiest roads.
Video footage of the assault, which was taken by another motorist at the scene in Cape Road, near the William Moffett intersection, went viral on social media – attracting 66 000 hits in under 23 hours on The Herald’s YouTube channel alone.
The man who filmed the incident, along with a family member, say they fear for their lives, after receiving threats for posting the video.
The assault also stirred controversy because the video shows a heavily built white man thumping a smaller black man.
The incident was sparked by an accident involving a woman, who identified herself to The Herald via e-mail as Ilke Smit.
After her car was allegedly rammed from the rear, Smit contacted her father, who rushed to the scene and allegedly attacked the driver of the other vehicle.
The attack took place in full view of paramedics and bystanders.
Despite extensive efforts, The Herald has been unable to track down some of the parties involved, for comment, while someone close to the woman refused to comment.
Police have no record of the accident or the assault and it could not be established which tow truck company, if any, had towed the vehicle away.
Following an appeal on The Herald’s Facebook page for witnesses, an e-mail was received from a woman, purporting to be Ilke Smit.
Received on Tuesday, it said: “I can comment on this so-called ‘road rage’ – people are quick to judge if they don’t know the whole story.
“So here it is: Yesterday morning at 9, I was driving in Cape Road and stopped for a red light.
“As I looked in my rearview mirror, I saw a Honda Ballade speeding down on my little Citroën C1.
“I believed and prayed that the person driving would see me and stop.
“But the next thing I knew, he bumped my car with such a hell of a speed that I was pushed for 15 metres – and what was the excuse of the driver, [that] the robot was green.
“My question is: why in the hell would I stop at a green robot?
“Thanks to the man – who has no licence, no ID and no passport – I have a dislocated shoulder and a written-off car.
“My last question is: are you people with nasty comments parents, because I know that any parent would do the same.”
Smit confirmed last night that the e-mail was from her.
“I don’t want to make any more comments,” she said.
“I stand by what I wrote in the mail and that is all.” She then terminated the call.
The video shows the accident took place in wet conditions.
The footage shows the alleged aggressor attacking the driver of the other vehicle, with the driver clinging to a pole and crying out: “Help me, help me.”
The large man is heard saying, “I will f***ing f*** you up, you p**s,” as he punches the slightly built, younger man on the head and upper body.
-Shaun Gillham and Yoliswa Sobuwa