Family wake up in panic as bakkie crashes through living room

The Chauke family in Jerome, outside Malamulele, received the shock of their lives when their peaceful sleep was disturbed by a loud bang early Saturday morning. When the dust had partly settled, they realised that a bakkie had driven through the wall of the house and into their living room.

The incident occurred at about 03:00. Family member Mr Joseph Chauke said that everyone inside the house had been fast asleep. They were awakened by a loud bang, followed by the sound of falling bricks. “The house belongs to my brother, who is in Cape Town, and only my brother’s son and his wife were in the house when the incident happened. Just imagine waking up and finding a car right inside your house and next to your bedroom. We just thank God for saving their lives as no one was injured,” he said.

Chauke mentioned that the bakkie’s occupants, a man and a woman, had allegedly been intoxicated. However, the family was assured by the bakkie's owner that the incident was an accident and that he would repair all the damage caused to the house.

The local ward councillor, Mr Always Baloyi, expressed concern about the incident. “We are very concerned about people driving around the village in the wee hours of the night under the influence of alcohol. From what we gathered, the driver, accompanied by a female companion, lost control of the speeding bakkie and ended up hitting the house, causing extensive damage in the process. This is worrying because it is not the first time it has happened in this village. We feel we are not safe even in our houses because of these reckless drivers,” he said.

Vhembe SAPS spokesperson W/O Vuledzani Dathi said that the police were investigating an incident where a white Toyota Hilux bakkie had hit a fence before crashing into a house at Roadhuis village on Saturday, 22 June, at about 02:30. The driver was identified as Mr Jabulani Justice Mdunwazi (34) from Jerome village, and his passenger was identified as Ms Sophie Mathebula (31) from Roadhuis village. Both occupants were injured and taken to Malamulele Hospital for medical treatment.

Date:28 June 2024

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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