{
  "id": 10132168,
  "title": "E-hailing driver escapes Chatsworth hijacking after allegedly being strangled by passengers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/e-hailing-driver-escapes-chatsworth-hijacking-after-allegedly-being",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-27T04:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/thepost/news/2026-09-27-e-hailing-driver-escapes-chatsworth-hijacking-after-allegedly-being-strangled-by-passengers/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "An e-hailing driver who picked up two men from Arena Park in Chatsworth was allegedly hijacked and strangled by passengers along Higginson Highway last night, according to SBS Security. The incident occurred around 11:30 pm when the driver dropped the passengers off in Westcliff, but they changed their minds and wanted to go to Suncoast Casino instead. When the driver requested payment for the fuel, they refused to pay, citing previous robbery by an e-hailing driver. The driver then offered to drop them back, but a struggle ensued as the passenger seated behind him grabbed the steering wheel. The driver stopped the car on Higginson Highway, and the suspects forced him out of the vehicle, taking control of the car. The driver managed to escape by jumping out of the front passenger seat and flagged down a passing motorist who transported him to his home. The victim contacted his employee, and the vehicle was later recovered in Durban Central. The KZN E-Hailing Council expressed deep concern over the incident, urging drivers not to conduct offline trips, as they remove safety, verification, tracking, and reporting mechanisms associated with authorized platform trips. The council called for improved panic-button and emergency-response systems, real-time vehicle tracking, and rapid reporting mechanisms for incidents involving e-hailing drivers.",
  "summary": "The incident has sparked concerns about drivers operating with offline trips, which removes some of the safety, verification, tracking and reporting mechanisms associated with an authorised platform trip.",
  "key_points": [
    "E-hailing driver hijacked and strangled in Chatsworth.",
    "Passengers refused payment, struggled for control.",
    "Driver escaped by jumping out of vehicle, flagged down passerby."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The incident highlights the risks e-hailing drivers face, prompting the KZN E-Hailing Council to call for enhanced safety measures, including improved tracking and emergency-response systems for drivers.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}