The police have warned motorists travelling on the N3 between Rockdale Bridge and the Pavilion turn-off near Westville not to stop on this stretch of road, which they have dubbed a crime "Bermuda Triangle" after a spate of robberies and hijackings in the area.
Police said every month they get at least six reports of robberies or attempted hijackings taking place in the few hundred metres of road.
Westville Police Constable Stephen Clark said it was "freaky" how people ran out of petrol, broke down, stopped to answer cellphones or had punctures and were then robbed on this section of road.
"Unfortunately, that stretch is a footpath between Westville, Chesterville and the Pavilion," said Clark.
A recent victim of the so- called "Bermuda Triangle" was Lynne Cunningham of Durban, who had a puncture just past the Pavilion on June 13. Cunningham said she was initially assisted by two men who she thinks came from a taxi broken down a few metres in front of her.
She said while "helping" her one of the men pulled a gun and pressed her against her vehicle and demanded money and her cellphone. Cunningham, who was on her way to church to meet a friend, said: "I told him that Jesus will not allow you to harm me."
She said she managed to break free shortly afterwards and ran into oncoming traffic to try to get a passing car to stop and help her. She said no one stopped, despite her running in the middle of the lanes.
"It was still light and I went into the lane, waving my hands. Not one car slowed down," she said.
Cunningham said she could not believe that no one was prepared to stop and help her.
Local musician Nick Engel, who was driving past at the time, said he saw a woman run up the side of the road, looking distressed and waving her hands. He drove past, but something told him to stop.
"I was surprised that no one else had stopped. I checked that there was a taxi in front of her car and I stopped before it and reversed until I got to her and she came to the window and got in."
He said he drove to Cunningham's car and checked there was no one around. She then grabbed her things and he dropped her off in Springfield Park, where her son picked her up. A few days later, Cunningham received an e-mail from a friend about another woman who had a similar experience on June 16.