‘That she survived is a miracle’

A Johannesburg mother escaped without broken bones after a freak incident in which she was run over by a private security vehicle. 

In a matter of seconds on Monday 16 March, a routine morning walk turned life-threatening for Pamela Kantor, 47, a primary school teacher and mother of three. 

A video of the incident, which has gone viral on social media, shows a CAP van reversing at speed, striking Kantor from behind, and driving over her. 

The footage has shocked the community, but for the Kantor family, the reality has been far more harrowing. 

“I’m still trying to process the level of trauma we are navigating,” said Kantor’s husband, Peter. 

“My wife was mowed down. She was trapped under the chassis, and the driver proceeded to drive over her. Replaying those images is a cycle I cannot break. That she survived is a miracle I will never fully comprehend.” 

Kantor had walked about a kilometre from home and passed the CAP vehicle parked on Felix Road, Glenhazel, exchanging greetings with the driver. 

“They said hello to each other,” Peter said. “And then, within minutes, she was knocked down.” 

The wheels rolled over her body. 

“I was working from home when I got a call from Pamela,” Peter recalled. “She said, ‘I’ve been knocked down.’ I said what do you mean? I rushed there as fast as I could. 

Hatzolah arrived shortly afterwards and rushed her to Milpark Hospital. 

“To think her head had been about 30 centimetres from the front wheel,” said Peter. “I’m amazed it didn’t run over her head. 

“My children almost lost their mother. I almost lost my wife. The realisation is difficult to comprehend.” 

Despite the severity of the incident, and her injuries, Kantor didn’t suffer a single broken bone – something both she and her family can hardly believe. “She’s battered and bruised, she has multiple stitches, and there are real concerns about her ankle,” Peter said. “She can barely walk. But no broken bones – it doesn’t make sense. Thank G-d.” 

Speaking from home, where she is recovering, Kantor described the moments that replay in her mind. 

“I remember being knocked down and then the vehicle driving over me,” she said. “I felt the air being pushed out of me, and I thought, ‘I’m going to die.’” 

“I screamed for my mom to help me. My mom passed away seven years ago, but I was calling out to her. ‘Mommy, I’m going to die, please help me.’” 

As the vehicle rolled over her, she was focused on survival. “I remember thinking, ‘I’ve got to get out from underneath this vehicle.’” 

She is still coming to terms with what happened. “It’s tough. I’m not coping very well,” she admitted. “I’m an active person, and now I have to rely on everyone. I even have a nurse helping me to the bathroom.” 

The emotional toll is equally severe. 

“Pamela wakes up every couple of hours, reliving the moment she was under that vehicle,” Peter said. “I feel completely helpless as the person I love tries to piece herself back together.” 

Yet, amid the pain, she remains focused on survival, he said. 

“I’m alive,” she said. “It’s a miracle.” 

CAP has expressed deep remorse over the incident, describing it as a devastating failure that falls far short of its standards. 

Sean Jammy, CAP’s deputy chief executive, said, “I’m not going to sugarcoat this. This is a horrific incident. It’s a horror,” he said. “It’s our job to protect people and make them feel safe, and this should never have taken place.” 

According to Jammy, a CAP driver and his crew had been speaking to a domestic worker on the side of the road when they had received a panic alert. 

They said goodbye and, from what he understands, the driver intended to reverse into a nearby road to attempt a three-point turn. He reversed into Kantor, hitting her at full speed, Jammy said. “They had greeted each other moments before. It’s hard to understand what was going through the driver’s mind.” 

Jammy confirmed that the driver was negligent and that standard operating procedures weren’t followed. He has since been dismissed. “It is part of our protocol that when reversing, the passenger must exit the vehicle and guide the driver,” he said. 

“When you sit at Pamela’s sickbed, you realise that this must never, ever happen again,” he said. 

“It’s a miracle, she survived,” Jammy added. “She was hit hard.” 

CAP said it had immediately launched an internal investigation and has begun reviewing its operational protocols. 

“This is not who we are,” the organisation said in a statement. “We are devastated that a careless act by one of our own has caused harm.” 

CAP said it had committed to support the family through the recovery process. 

But Jammy acknowledged it could have done more in the immediate aftermath. “In hindsight, we understand that the family wanted more from us, more face-to-face engagement, and justifiably so,” he said. 

The organisation is reflecting deeply on the incident, he said. “We operate in a dangerous, high-intensity, high-adrenaline environment. It’s easy to lose sight of where we come from,” he said. “This is a reminder that our heart is our strongest organ, and we must stay connected to it. Out of this horror, we hope to learn important lessons, to strive to do better and be better.” 

Said Kantor, “I don’t want to throw CAP under the bus. It’s not about that. It’s about humility, taking responsibility, and understanding what this has done.” 

As she begins what is likely to be a long recovery, Kantor is drawing strength from those around her. “I have an incredible support system,” she said. “My family, my friends – the community has been amazing.” 

She describes herself as a positive and private person, now forced into a vulnerable space. 

“It’s hard,” she said. “But from all of this, people need to understand that miracles do happen,” she said. “I’m one of them.”