Pretoria man shot by taxi driver in alleged road rage incident
A young man from Pretoria is beginning a long recovery journey after he was shot in the back in an alleged road rage incident involving a taxi driver during peak traffic.
The teenager, Dian Marais, had been on his way home from work with his brother when the confrontation unfolded, escalating within moments into gunfire that left him with a serious spinal injury.
Dian said the incident happened last month, on March 30, 2026, on Fred Nicholson Street, when an aggressive taxi driver attempted to force his way into their lane. When the 18-year-old driver refused to let him cut in, the situation quickly escalated.
The taxi driver allegedly tried to box their vehicle in before getting out and confronting them. He then began banging on their car, creating a tense and dangerous situation.
“I ignored him as I did not want any trouble. My brother got out of the car to check whether the taxi driver had hit our car.
“My brother noticed the driver reaching for a firearm and shouted for me to leave immediately.”
As the brothers attempted to drive away from the scene, multiple shots were fired.
Five shots were reportedly discharged.
By what the family has described as a miracle, only one bullet struck the teen. The bullet travelled through the boot of the vehicle before hitting him in the back, causing a fracture to his spine at the T12 vertebra.
Emergency medical care was sought, and the teen underwent a critical procedure to remove the bullet.
“Doctors told me I was just 2cm away from being paralysed.”
The operation was successfully carried out by Dr E.K. Thobejane and his team at Spine Intervention at ZAH, where the bullet was also preserved as evidence for SAPS as part of an ongoing investigation.
While his life was spared, the road to recovery remains long and uncertain. The spinal injury has left him facing extensive rehabilitation and ongoing medical care.
“I love sport, and I really feel that what happened is very bad. After the shooting, I’m still quite shaken and scared to be near taxi drivers because I’m afraid it could happen again. I was badly shocked by the gunshot that hit me, and it’s also affecting the fact that I can’t work right now, so it’s a very difficult time for me.”
Dian currently has no medical aid and is unable to work while recovering, placing significant financial strain on him and his family.
A public appeal has since been launched to assist with mounting costs, including medical treatment, rehabilitation, and daily living expenses during his recovery period.
Police could not yet provide an update on the case, but according to Dian, the taxi driver has been arrested and has already made his first court appearance.
