4 PM ON A RECENT THURSDAY AFTERNOON, MARLBORO OFF-RAMP OFF THE N3…
A BMW 3 series with six occupants cut in front of a Range Rover, forcing it to a halt. The attackers armed with a mix of AK47’s and handguns rushed toward the Range Rover, screaming for the driver to get out of the vehicle. Having likely followed the driver from the bank he had visited earlier and expecting a large windfall.
Unbeknownst to the attackers, the Range Rover had been armoured by Armormax three months earlier.
The driver, recovering from his initial shock hit the accelerator. The assailants, now standing on both sides of the vehicle opened fire, bullets initially impacting the windscreen, driver and passenger windows.
The Range Rover hit the BMW, smashing it out of the way. In doing so the front right wheel and suspension was damaged. The run flat system did its job and kept the tyre on the rim, allowing the driver to retain control.
With the attackers still firing, bullets now impacted the right rear window and body, and a split second later as the Range Rover sped past, impacted on the armoured rear screen and body.
The driver, now speeding away from the attack retained enough control to drive to the nearest police station.
In total, 11 bullets impacted the Range Rover, and an analysis of the angle of impact revealed that had the vehicle not been armoured at least 9 bullets would have had a high probability of hitting the driver or passenger.
No bullets (including what the SAP think may be an armour piercing round from an AK 47) penetrated the vehicle.
This was not a run of the mill hijacking, but rather a carefully planned armed robbery. Had the vehicle not been armoured, the end result would at minimum been a huge financial loss with the ever-present possibility of a loss of life.