News Anchor Denies Assaulting Female Motorist, Also Says Video Misrepresents Road Rage Incident

• Newzroom Afrika anchor Aldrin Sampear has denied claims that he assaulted a female motorist in Johannesburg
• A 20-year-old motorist claimed that Sampera grabbed her arm and then hit her during a road rage incident
• The news anchor also stated that he was surprised to see that the video that surfaced online was edited

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent ten years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

GAUTENG – A Newzroom Afrika anchor has denied claims that he assaulted a female motorist in Johannesburg on 17 April 2025.

Aldrin Sampear, a former Power 98.7 FM broadcaster, also stated that a video of an alleged road rage incident was edited.

The video, which was recorded by a 20-year-old woman, surfaced online following the altercation between the two motorists.

Sampear confirms incident, but denies assault

Speaking to The Citizen about the incident, Sampear confirmed that he was in a minor accident, but denied that he assaulted the young woman.

“At no point did I assault the driver. We exchanged details,” he said.

According to Sampear, the incident happened when the other driver cut in front of him after a taxi abruptly stopped in front of her. He also admitted that there was exchange of words from both parties when they were stationary, but added that the video was edited.

“I’m horrified to see an edited version of the video because I went to my car to go fetch my phone and license to share with the driver,” he told The Citizen.

Sampear added that he has since reported the matter to the police and his legal team.

Victim tells a different tale

Laricia Augusto, the victim in the incident, told The Citizen that the news anchor became very aggressive after she was forced to move into the lane in front of him. She said that after she moved back into the left lane, things turned nasty as Sampear swerved into the same lane, clipping her car deliberately.

Laricia Augusto, the victim in the incident, told The Citizen that the news anchor became very aggressive after she was forced to move into the lane in front of him. She said that after she moved back into the left lane, things turned nasty as Sampear swerved into the same lane, clipping her car deliberately.

Augusto added that things escalated when they both exited the vehicle.

“He was screaming at me. I tried to defend myself, pointing out that what he did was deliberate road rage.

She explained that Sampear grabbed her arm, which is when she started to record him.

“You can see him pointing at my face, shouting nonstop. He pushed me, grabbed me again, and hit me,” she continued.

Augusto also admitted that she did show Sampear the middle finger as he could be heard saying in the video.

You can watch the video for yourself below.

Source: Briefly News