A motorist whose car plunged down Chapman’s Peak Drive on Monday morning allegedly sped through the toll booth without paying the toll fees.
It is understood the man had parked at a lookout point and toll booth staff had phoned the police about him not paying the fee to use the road.
Once the police arrived, the man apparently sped off, careening down the mountainside.
He survived, despite being ejected from the driver’s seat as the car rolled.
Chapman’s Peak Drive was closed to traffic shortly after 05:00 as a rescue operation was launched.
On arrival rescue personnel could not immediately determine the location of the car due to the terrain and steep cliff face of the drive, said National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon.
Two rescue swimmers were deployed to the shoreline where they found the driverless vehicle about 50m from the water’s edge.
“During an ongoing search a [man] was located by the NSRI rescue swimmers approximately a third of the way from the roadside. It is believed [he] had been ejected from the vehicle as it rolled over terrain and down the mountainside,” Lambinon said.
The man, 32, was the only occupant of the car.
“[He] was found to be conscious and in a stable condition but suffering head injuries and cuts and bruises,” Lambinon said.
A rescue helicopter was dispatched to help retrieve the motorist.
“EMS rescue paramedics descended to the scene from the roadway using high-angle safety ropes and rigging. The man was treated by rescue paramedics for his injuries and in a stable condition he was secured into a specialised stretcher [and] hoisted to the roadway by the Skymed rescue helicopter.”
He was then taken to hospital by ambulance and is in a stable condition.
Police are investigating.
[Source: News24]
