Police Kills Himself After K!lling Woman In Hit-And-Run

A South African police officer committed suicide following the death of a young woman he killed in a hit-and-run accident.

Colonel Robert Netshiunda, a spokesman for KwaZulu-Natal police, announced the 48-year-old officer’s passing in a statement on Monday. At an uMhlanga hotel, he is said to have killed himself.

According to Netshiunda, the 26-year-old lady was crushed by a vehicle early on Saturday morning while travelling along the Phoenix Highway.

At the time, a local farmer had called Reaction Unit SA (Rusa) over a black Toyota Fortuner that was parked on his property.

Prem Balram of Rusa stated that the car’s front was damaged. It had blue lights and sirens.

“The vehicle’s registration plates were removed. The information obtained from the licence disc was handed over to police and it as established that the vehicle was reported stolen at Phoenix police station,” he said.

The front registration plate was picked up, according to Netshiunda, but Balram said they later learnt that the vehicle was involved in a hit-and-run and the driver fled the scene.

Phumla Mtshali was the woman killed at the scene; her family reported the incident to the Phoenix police station, and a culpable homicide case was opened.

“Shortly after a case of culpable homicide was registered at Phoenix police station, a Sergeant who was the last person to be in possession of the state vehicle in question went to the same police station to open a case of theft of a motor vehicle,” Netshiunda said.

He added that reports of the Sergeant’s suicide were received by police on Monday morning. The Sergeant was connected to the hit-and-run event.

“Circumstances surrounding the apparent suicide incident form part of police investigations,” Netshiunda said.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli