Man Survives Landing on Roof of Taxi After Leap From 8-Storey Joburg Building in Botched ‘Suicide’

Man Survives Landing on Roof of Taxi After Leap From 8-Storey Joburg Building in Botched ‘Suicide’

  • A man's alleged failed suicide caused a frenzy during an incident in Hillbrow in Johannesburg, on Saturday, 25 January
  • Images of the man circulated online after he landed on the roof of a taxi after he reportedly jumped from the eighth floor
  • Metro police officers attended the scene, while Gauteng police had not received reports about the shocking incident
Hillbrow man allegedly jumps from 8th floor of Joburg high-rise onto roof of taxi, survives
Photos of a man on the caved-in roof of a taxi went viral after he survived reportedly jumping from the eighth-storey of a building in Hillbrow. Image: @Jaca_Patrick
Source: Twitter

JOHANNESBURG — A frenzy broke out in Hillbrow near the Johannesburg Central Business District (CBD) at the scene of a failed suicide.

Images that circulated on social media showed the aftermath of a man's alleged attempt to end his life as he was seen on the caved roof of a minibus taxi.

Hillbrow man leaps onto taxi roof

He had allegedly lept from the eighth floor of a high-rise building on Pretoria Street and onto the stationary vehicle on Saturday, 25 January 2025.

A photo which captured the scenes of the incident, later posted to X by social justice commentator Yusuf Abramjee, had the caption:

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"A man jumped from the [eighth] floor of a building. He fell on top of a stationary mini-bus taxi and survived."
Hillbrow man allegedly jumps from 8th floor of Joburg high-rise onto roof of taxi, survives
Photos of a man on the caved-in roof of a taxi went viral after he survived reportedly jumping from the eighth-storey of a building in Hillbrow. Image: @Jaca_Patrick
Source: Twitter

Another online user offered further insight into the surprising incident.

"More problems: [the driver] wants his taxi as it was," part of their post, paraphrased, read.

One photo showed the unidentified man, wearing black clothing, sitting at the spot where he reportedly landed.

In another, he is seen lying on his right side, with his feet outstretched. The taxi, a red Siyaya (H90 generation Toyota HiAce), sustained extensive damage, which, in addition to a bent frame and dented roof, had misaligned windows.

A large crowd gathered and Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officers attended the scene. JMPD spokesperson Superintendent Xolani Fihla was handling a Briefly News inquiry when this story was published.

Police spokesperson Lt-Col Mavela Masondo said police had not received reports about the incident.

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Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Tshepiso Mametela avatar

Tshepiso Mametela (Head of Current Affairs Desk) Tshepiso Mametela is a seasoned journalist with eight years of experience writing for online and print publications. He is the Head of Current Affairs at Briefly News. He was a mid-level reporter for The Herald, a senior sports contributor at Opera News SA, and a general reporter for Caxton Local Media’s Bedfordview and Edenvale News and Joburg East Express community titles. He has attended media workshops organised by the Wits Justice Project and Wits Centre for Journalism, including crime and court reporting. Email: tshepiso.mametela@briefly.co.za