Jim Mohlala|Published
A nine-year-old Mitchells Plain girl has died after a BMW wheel allegedly flew off and struck her at an illegal spinning event in Atlantis, where a councillor says another incident had already left a man with an amputated leg.
The girl, reportedly from Eastridge, suffered a serious head injury during the event on Saturday, October 10, 2026. She was rushed to a Netcare hospital for specialised emergency treatment but was declared brain dead, according to community reports.
Questions over police report
Atlantis ward councillor Allister Lightburn said he only recently learnt of the incident.
He said: “I was only made aware of this incident recently. It is sad that a 9-year-old lost her life. My heart goes out to the family.”
Lightburn added: “As a father of daughters, I cannot imagine what it is like.”
He said he was working with traffic services and law enforcement to prevent a repeat. He further told IOL Media that another incident at one of the events had left a man’s leg amputated.
He added: “I am a car enthusiast myself, and I would only support this if there were ways to do it legally and it was done legally.”
Councillor calls for action
Lightburn said he had been told a case was opened at the Atlantis police station. However, Atlantis SAPS spokesperson Captain Liza Munro told IOL Media this was not the case.
“Unfortunately, the incident was not reported at Atlantis police station,” Munro said.
Munro said the family might approach another station.
Mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith, in a Facebook post on Tuesday, said reports indicated that SAPS were investigating the death of the nine-year-old spectator who lost her life at the unauthorised spinning event in Atlantis.
City tackles illegal spinning
Smith said the death was a tragic reminder of what can happen when dangerous activities take place without proper controls. He said City enforcement officers had also dealt with spinning and street racing elsewhere over the weekend.
On Saturday afternoon, officers observed a blue BMW performing doughnuts at an intersection near Ottery Hypermarket. The unlicensed, modified, and unroadworthy car was impounded and its driver fined.
He added that over the weekend, several motorists driving modified vehicles were also reportedly involved in street racing on Upper Kloofnek Road in the CBD. During one incident, a BMW driver attempting to drift around a corner collided with a MyCiTi bus.