“The Driver and Owner Should Be Arrested”: Taxi Loses Wheel on a Busy Highway, SA Aggrieved

• A motorist on a Gauteng highway captured a loose wheel rolling freely down the road on 5 October 2026
• The camera then revealed a white minibus taxi driving on three wheels, with sparks flying from the exposed axle
• A second minibus taxi passed moments later with a visibly flat rear tyre, leaving fellow road users stunned

A Johannesburg motorist caught one of the most alarming highway moments on camera on 5 October 2026, when a detached wheel was spotted rolling freely along a busy road with no vehicle attached to it. TikTok user @malepebrilliant filmed the unfolding chaos from behind the wheel. As the camera tracked ahead, it revealed the source of the rogue tyre: a white minibus taxi travelling on three wheels, its rear right tyre completely gone, with the bare axle grinding against the road and throwing friction sparks into the air.

Mechanics weigh in on highway danger

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Before viewers could process what they had seen, a second minibus taxi came into frame, this one with a visibly flat rear tyre, driving as though nothing was wrong. The clip spread quickly, drawing serious concern from road users and tradespeople alike. A mechanic in the comments was direct about where the blame lies, noting that a wheel does not simply fall off without warning.

According to the commenter, the vehicle had been showing signs of trouble for some time before the failure happened. Others in the comments called for swift action from taxi associations, arguing that vehicles in this condition should be removed from service entirely. Some felt the matter went beyond associations, suggesting that the driver and vehicle owner should face criminal consequences. Not everyone kept it serious. A few viewers found humour in the wheel's solo journey down the highway, with one comparing it to the wobbly toy cars sold at Shoprite.

Watch the taxi standing on three wheels on the highway in the TikTok video below:

Mzansi reacts to the alarming footage

South Africans in the comments section on @malepebrilliant's TikTok had plenty to say:

@ProphetC.Blessings said:

"As a mechanic, I will tell you. The car has given signs for a long time, but he chose to ignore them."

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@gummyboar noted:

"A lot is going on in this video; even the quantum passing by has a flat tyre at the back."

@Thabzin joked:

"This reminds me of the toys in Shoprite; they are like this 🤣."

@Tshepo wrote:

"The worst could have happened. 😭 The associations must discontinue some taxis."

@YungR.E.Y laughed:

"That time you are on your final warning 🤣"

@Tsaka added:

"The driver and owner of this taxi should be arrested."

3 Briefly News articles about taxi drivers

• A South African taxi passenger amused online users after sharing a funny account of the awkward drama that unfolded when a greeting was completely ignored inside the vehicle.
• A KwaZulu-Natal taxi driver was captured on video attempting to charm a white woman along the roadside, and viewers joked that he was speaking English in isiZulu.
• A taxi driver had to ask passengers to hold a detached sliding door mid-journey after he failed to fix the broken mechanism, shocking Mzansi.

Source: Briefly News