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By Faizel Patel

Senior Journalist


WATCH: Taxi driver arrested for mowing down metro cop in KZN

The officer believed to be in his thirties had sustained multiple injuries and was rushed to hospital.


A taxi driver has been arrested for mowing down a metro officer in KwaZulu-Natal.

It is understood the incident happened just after 8.30am on Tuesday morning at Moorton Shopping Centre in Chatsworth.

ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said medics arrived on the scene to find the seriously injured metro officer lying on the roadway.

Watch the taxi driver knock down the Metro Police officer (Viewer Discretion)

Injuries

“Advanced life support paramedics worked to stabilise the policeman believed to be in his 30s on scene who had sustained multiple injuries before he was rushed to a nearby hospital for the further. The taxi driver is believed to have been arrested by Metro Police.

SAPS also attended [the scene] and both Metro Police and SAPS will investigate further,” said Jamieson.

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Deadly crash

Meanwhile, the identities of seven deceased people involved in a deadly crash have been confirmed with their immediate families.

The accident claimed seven lives, including that of a police officer and a suspect, along the R101 highway on Sunday.

It is understood that a Renault sedan collided head-on with a police vehicle which was travelling from Mookgophong towards Mokopane in Limpopo on Sunday.

Police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said five people from the Renault sedan and two passengers from the SAPS Toyota light delivery van – a police officer and a suspect, were killed on the scene.

“The deceased have been identified as Constable Makoela Mpetli (29) attached to SAPS Naboomspruit and the deceased suspect as Mr Resemate William Ntemane (45). The suspect was initially arrested for assault and intimidation and was being transported to Mokopane SAPS for detention.

Investigations

Ledwaba said the other five deceased people in the silver Renault sedan are from Lefahleng Village in  Hammanskraal and were also identified.

“The cause of this horrific accident is still unknown and is currently being investigated. The provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe, has sent messages of condolences to the bereaved families and wishes the driver a speedy recovery.”

 Ledwaba said police investigations are continuing.

ALSO READ: Deadly Limpopo crash claims lives of police officer and suspect

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