A South African police officer has taken his own life after being involved in a hit-and-run crash that resulted in the death of a young woman.
The officer, aged 48, allegedly ended his own life at a hotel in uMhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal, according to a statement from KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda on Monday.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning along the Phoenix Highway, where a 26-year-old woman, Phumla Mtshali, was struck and killed. Reaction Unit SA (Rusa) received a call from a local farmer reporting a black Toyota Fortuner on his property.
Rusa’s Prem Balram noted that the vehicle, which was equipped with blue lights and sirens, had significant front-end damage.
“The vehicle’s registration plates were removed. The information obtained from the licence disc was handed over to police, and it was established that the vehicle had been reported stolen at Phoenix police station,” Balram said.
Further investigation revealed that the vehicle was involved in the hit-and-run incident and the driver had fled the scene. The family of the deceased woman reported the case at Phoenix police station, leading to the opening of a culpable homicide case.
Netshiunda confirmed that the front registration plate of the vehicle was recovered. He added, “Shortly after the culpable homicide case was registered at Phoenix police station, a Sergeant who was the last person to be in possession of the state vehicle went to the same police station to report the theft of the motor vehicle.”
On Monday morning, police received reports that the Sergeant, implicated in the hit-and-run incident, had taken his own life.
“Circumstances surrounding the apparent suicide incident form part of police investigations,” Netshiunda stated.
