Police respond to claims ‘prisoners escaped’ from overturned armoured Nyala

Western Cape police have cleared the air on reports that several prisoners escaped from an overturned armoured Nyala on Monday.

The police vehicle was travelling during peak-hour traffic on the N1 towards Paarl when it crashed.

The accident left nine officers from the Public Order Police unit injured.

According to TygerBurger, the accident was caused by the Nyala suddenly braking. The publication said bystanders claimed to have seen ammunition scattered near the scene of the accident.

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However, police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut told The Citizen no prisoners were being transported in the vehicle.

“It was a normal accident. No other vehicle was involved.

“Nine officers were injured and were treated. There have been suggestions on social media that prisoners escaped and that there were guns all over the scene, but this is not true. There is no such thing.”

He said investigations were ongoing, and would not be drawn on reports that the crash may have been caused by the vehicle suddenly braking.

A case of reckless and negligent driving was reportedly opened at Kraaifontein Police Station.

Police officer dies in KZN accident

Constable Nozipho Zuma was killed earlier this year on the scene of an accident on the M7 towards Durban.

The Highway Mail reported she was responding to an earlier crash when a truck ploughed into the scene and hit her.

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It followed a similar incident several months earlier where a drunk driver crashed into three Rea Vaya Unit officers and two bystanders at the scene of an accident in Johannesburg.

The driver was arrested and detained at Diepkloof Police Station.

He was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and reckless and negligent driving.

“This motorist must face the full might of the law, and we wish our officers and the two members of the public who were assisting a quick recovery,” JMPD acting chief Angie Mokasi said at the time.

Additional reporting by Cheryl Kahla