Dash-cam footage captured the moment a driver managed to get through an armed robbery while his vehicle was being shot at.
On 22 April 2021, Leo Prinsloo, who had previously served in the security details of two US presidents and Queen Elizabeth II, was transporting high-value cargo in South Africa, when his car came under fire.
Prinsloo was driving a 70 Series Toyota Land Cruiser with Lloyd Mtombemi along as a passenger on just his fourth day on the job.
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While valuable items get ferried about every day in South Africa there had been a spate of armed robberies on the roads so the possibility of a vehicle carrying precious cargo being attacked couldn't be ruled out.
On that fateful day, Prinsloo and Mtombemi did end up getting attacked and the dash-cam footage showed how they dealt with attempting to evade armed robbers who kept putting bullets into their car.
Footage from inside the driver's cabin showed the two men's journey interrupted when a vehicle pulled up next to them on the driver's side and began to open fire.
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Prinsloo told InsideHook that before they set off he'd explained to his new colleague that if attacked their car would be their greatest weapon as they would not be able to fire back at attackers from inside it.
He explained that about 15 minutes into their journey they were attacked and in his experience the armed robbers come 'ready to kill'.
In total he estimated that around 30 rounds were fired at their vehicle during the attack and 13 of them hit their target, and there would have been more had he not been top notch with evasive driving.
While it was the first time he'd been in a gun battle for 17 years, Prinsloo kept his cool and continued to evade the attackers, with neither he nor his colleague being injured in the attack.
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Despite his best efforts the car's right front tire was shot out, introducing the risk that the armoured car might tip over and end up immobilized.
That would also likely have injured himself or Mtombemi, and put them in danger by forcing them to open the doors and get out of the stricken vehicle.
Fortunately he was able to keep the wheels on the road and had Mtombemi get an AR-15 ready while he focused on getting the car to safety.
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After two-and-a-half minutes he was able to spin out one of the cars chasing him, a black Audi, and got out of the car with the assault rifle to continue the fight on foot.
However, since the driver of the Audi was running away in a public place Prinsloo decided not to open fire, and the other armed robbers also fled the scene.
Topics: World News, News, Crime
Joe Harker