On Tuesday morning, a taxi driver from Cape Town went missing after jumping into a river alongside a road in a desperate attempt to evade cops.
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Traffic officers attempted to pull over the driver of a Toyota Quantum while patrolling along the N2 highway.
JP Smith, the City of Cape Town’s mayoral committee member for safety and security, said that the traffic officers chased the driver after he jumped out the taxi.
‘He jumped into the river alongside the road, in an attempt to evade custody, ‘ Smith explained.
The rapid flow of the river was due to the recent heavy rainfall across the City.
‘Unable to see the suspect surface, and with a fast-flowing current bolstered by the recent, heavy rainfall, additional resources were requested,’ he said.
The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services were called to the scene and area in which they searched expanded.
Smith said that there was no sign of the taxi driver after crew members searched the river banks further downstream.
The taxi in which the driver abandoned had a numerous outstanding fines to its name.
‘The minibus Quantum taxi, having outstanding fines registered against it, was impounded and the matter was reported at Athlone SAPS,’ Smith said.
The registered owner of the taxi was requested to meet with police officials in order to trace and track the identity of the missing driver.
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Picture: @JPSmith / Facebook