A POLICEWOMAN from Chatsworth found herself in a precarious situation when her vehicle became stuck in a pothole.
Thanks to the quick actions of good Samaritans, she was rescued.
The officer had dropped her four-year-old child off at creche, when she hit the pothole.
Her older child was in the car with her at the time.
A resident said: “She is a safe driver. But due to the high volumes of traffic, she ended up reversing into the pothole. I was in the lounge and watched as she drove off. I saw that she was heading towards the pothole and tried screaming to alert her. I also ran outside but it was too late. Her car hit the pothole.”
The resident said several good samaritans immediately went to the policewoman’s assistance.
“The neighbour and four passers-by physically lifted the car out of the pothole. The officer was so relieved. She thought she would need a tow truck to pull her out,” added the resident.
She claimed the hole had been dug up by the eThekwini Municipality when a water leak was repaired two months ago.
“There was a water leak due to a burst pipe about three months ago. We reported it to the municipality and after a month of water continuously gushing from the pipe, they responded and fixed the leak.
“But they left the hole uncovered. They said the repair needed to be monitored. After two weeks, we reported the pothole being a hazard to motorists. We were told it would be attended to but there was a backlog because of the recent rain and storms.
“It has been two months now and the pothole has still not been closed. Although it has been cordoned off, it is still a risk to motorists and pedestrians. I have been notifying parents to be careful but accidents happen. Parents were concerned about it and checked with me regarding the feedback from the municipality,” she added.
She said potholes were a problem throughout Chatsworth and surrounding areas.
“About a month ago, I was travelling to Shallcross with my brother. It was raining. We hit a big pothole, which was filled with water. The front tyre was stuck in the pothole and we had to be towed out. Something needs to be done to ensure the safety of motorists,” added the resident.