A woman was killed after a large rock thrown from the Van der Linde Bridge on the R24 freeway in Bedfordview smashed through her car windscreen on Friday 14 August 2026. Bedfordview SAPS have opened a murder docket. Image: EMPD/Supplied
A woman died on Friday 14 August 2026 after someone threw a large rock from a bridge through her car windscreen on the R24 freeway in Bedfordview. The R24 Bedfordview rock attack happened just before the Gillooly’s Interchange. Furthermore, Bedfordview SAPS opened a murder investigation. As a result, what began as a routine Friday morning commute ended in tragedy.
Ekurhuleni Metro Police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Kelebogile Thepa said the freeway unit reached the scene at about 7.38am. Someone threw the rock from the Concord Road Bridge, also known as the Van der Linde Bridge. The rock smashed through the windscreen and struck the driver in the head. She lost control and crashed into the road barriers. Furthermore, emergency services declared her dead at the scene. Officers found a solid rock at the scene alongside a damaged grey Honda with a smashed windscreen and front bumper. As a result, Bedfordview police first opened an inquest docket before upgrading the matter to murder.
SAPS spokesperson Captain Tintswalo Sibeko confirmed the murder investigation. “Bedfordview SAPS received a complaint at about 09:00 on Friday and found the woman with serious head injuries inside her grey Honda,” Sibeko said. Police had made no arrests at the time of publication. Furthermore, police had not released a suspect description. As a result, investigators urge anyone with information to come forward.
The attack has sparked urgent calls for surveillance cameras on Bedfordview bridges. Community members and road safety groups note that at least three separate rock-throwing incidents have occurred in the area. Bridge attacks on South African freeways are not new. In December 2025, a motorist died after a brick from an overpass struck their vehicle on the N1 South. In 2019, Paarl teacher Michele Pietersen died after a brick hit her car on the N1 in Cape Town. Furthermore, similar attacks have occurred across Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. As a result, road safety groups have long called for permanent cameras on pedestrian bridges over major freeways. This latest death has made that call more urgent.
Police had not officially confirmed the woman’s identity at the time of publication pending notification of next of kin. Her family and loved ones are in the thoughts of everyone at Mzansi Today Live.
Anyone with information about the R24 Bedfordview rock attack can contact Bedfordview SAPS on 011 453 3600 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
For more on SAPS road safety operations visit saps.gov.za.
Editors Note Police had not confirmed the victim’s identity at the time of publication. No arrests had been made. Bedfordview SAPS opened a murder docket. Mzansi Today Live will update this article as further information becomes available.