Police in Gqeberha have launched a manhunt for the driver of a blue or silver SUV after a 56-year-old motorist was brutally stabbed to death behind the wheel during a suspected road rage confrontation.
The victim has been identified as local resident Shaun Marais.
According to police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge, the deadly confrontation happened at around 20:30 on Friday night along Circular Drive in Lorraine.
Marais was driving his white Honda Accord when he got into an altercation with an unknown man driving an SUV. While it is not yet clear what sparked the clash between the two motorists, the confrontation quickly turned fatal when the SUV driver stabbed Marais.
Desperate bid to drive away
Seriously wounded, Marais tried to drive away from his attacker, but he collapsed behind the wheel just metres down the road.
“He attempted to drive further, but after a short distance, he lost control of his vehicle and bumped into a wall close to the Circular Drive and Henri Botha Street intersection,” Beetge said.
“He died at the scene. A murder case was opened and is being investigated by SAPS Walmer.”
Stabbed in the heart, neck, and head
News of the brutal killing has left Marais’ loved ones shattered. Commenting on a post about the crash on the Port Elizabeth Traffic Updates Facebook group, family member Samantha Jane Cox revealed the sheer brutality of the attack on her cousin’s husband.
According to Cox, Marais was stabbed in the heart, neck, and head.
“Sadly, he passed away. We, as a family, are in shock. A nice Friday night dinner ending in tragedy,” she wrote.
Police have not yet established the exact make and model of the blue or silver SUV involved in the attack, and the suspect remains at large.
Anyone with information that could help track down the killer is urged to contact SAPS Walmer Detective Lieutenant Colonel Estelle Edwards on 079 520 3256, or call the anonymous Crime Stop tip-off line on 08600 10111.