A nine-year-old girl from Mitchells Plain has died after she was allegedly struck by a wheel that came off a BMW during an unauthorised spinning event in Atlantis.
According to the Cape Argus, the girl, reportedly from Eastridge, suffered a serious head injury during the event on Saturday, 10 October 2026.
She was taken to a Netcare hospital for specialised emergency treatment and was later declared brain dead, according to community reports cited by the publication.
Questions over whether incident was reported
Atlantis ward councillor Allister Lightburn said he had only recently been informed about the incident and expressed condolences to the girl’s family.
Lightburn said he was working with traffic services and law enforcement to prevent similar incidents.
He also told IOL Media that another incident linked to one of the events had previously resulted in a man having his leg amputated.
There is, however, uncertainty over whether the girl’s death was formally reported to police in Atlantis.
Lightburn said he had been told that a case was opened at Atlantis police station. Atlantis SAPS spokesperson Captain Liza Munro disputed this.
“Unfortunately, the incident was not reported at Atlantis police station,” Munro told IOL Media.
She added that the family may have approached another police station.
City raises concerns over illegal spinning
City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith said reports indicated that SAPS was investigating the girl’s death.
Smith said the incident highlighted the risks of dangerous driving activities taking place without proper controls.
City enforcement officers also dealt with other spinning and street racing incidents over the same weekend.
Near Ottery Hypermarket, officers impounded an unlicensed, modified and unroadworthy BMW after it was allegedly seen performing doughnuts.
Modified vehicles were also reportedly involved in street racing on Upper Kloofnek Road in the Cape Town CBD. In one incident, a BMW driver attempting to drift around a corner collided with a MyCiTi bus.
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