Katie Price 'lucky to be alive' after being carjacked

TV personality Katie Price and two of her children feel "lucky to be alive" after getting carjacked in South Africa.

"We are lucky to be alive, it could have been much worse," Price told a friend, reports thesun.co.uk.

The incident was reportedly witnessed by Junior, 12, and Princess, 10 - her children with former husband Peter Andre.

A source said: "The robbers seemed to be off their heads. They were screaming threats and ordering all the passengers not to move. Everyone in the car was terrified because they had no idea if they were just being robbed for money, if the gang might try to kidnap them - or worse.

"One brave member of the team tried to stop them, but was hit in the face. After the thieves fled, Katie was left shaken and traumatised."

The thieves also grabbed the keys to the vehicle and threw them in bushes so they could not be chased.

They pounced as Price - who was shooting the second series of the show "My Crazy Life" - as she was being driven from Johannesburg to Swaziland on Thursday night.

The vehicle pulled up on a darkened road in the town of Chrissiesmeer in Mpumalanga province at around 8 p.m. so the children could go to the toilet.

The attackers were lurking nearby and are believed to have escaped in a VW Polo.

There were members of the TV crew in another vehicle but it is not known if they were also caught up in the robbery, reports thesun.co.uk.

Local tourist safety official Athol Stark said: "This was a group of opportunist robbers who saw people pull over and robbed them. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

His team sent tow trucks to haul Price's vehicle to a hotel around 45 minutes away.

He added: "We took them to a place of safety for the night. The next morning, when we realised she was someone big in the UK and was filming, we moved them to a secure, private location.

"Katie and her children were still jittery. Once the gates were shut and security was on the door, they began to relax."

Police chief Brigadier Leonard Hlathi, without taking any names, said: "A British tourist and her two children were the victims of a robbery when they stopped on a road to allow the children to relieve themselves by the road.

"The car came to a stop in a very dark place and that is when three men attacked them.

"They have taken items including cash and laptops and personal items and then took the car keys from the ignition and threw them into the bush and ran off leaving them stuck by the side of the road.

"We received a call and went to help and were able to retrieve the car keys and assist those who were robbed. One man had an injury to his eye and was taken to hospital and treated and discharged.

"Those involved did not wish to give statements but we have opened a docket for robbery and are investigating and are appealing for information and witnesses but there have been no arrests as of yet."

--IANS

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