Police probe Mpumalanga crash that saw officer and American tourist killed

The office of the Provincial Police Commissioner in Mpumalanga said a car crash that occurred on Thursday is under investigation.

A police officer and three civilians died in the head-on collision on the R540 between Dullstroom and Belfast, Colonel Donald Mdhluli said on Friday.

The accident occurred at around 4.20 pm.

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One of deceased was a US tourist

“Members from the Dullstroom Police Station received a call informing them about the accident involving a marked police vehicle and a white double cab. Upon arrival at the scene, the members found that the two vehicles had collided head-on,” Mdhluli said.

“Unfortunately, the 45-year-old police constable was certified dead at the scene.

“Two female occupants and one male occupant from the other vehicle were taken to a nearby hospital, where the two females later succumbed to their injuries. The news that has just been received this afternoon (Friday, 05 July 2024) is that the male occupant has now succumbed to the injuries,” said Mdhluli.

One of the women was a tourist from the United States (US).

The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

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‘Tragic loss of life’

The acting provincial commissioner of Saps in Mpumalanga, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi, expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the three victims.

“This is a tragic loss of life, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased,” said Mkhwanazi.

Justice for transport minister, whose family died in accident

This comes just weeks after the Ladysmith Regional Court sentenced Celumusa Ngwenya to an effective 10 years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to six counts of culpable homicide.

The 35-year-old’s plea relates to the motor vehicle accident that occurred on 17 July 2022, on the N11 highway, outside Ladysmith which claimed the lives of six people who were family members of the then-Transport minister, Sindisiwe Chikunga, who is now minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities.

The deceased were aged between four and 40 years old. It was found that the accused drove at 158km/h in an 80km zone, and he overtook on a double barrier line, around a bend.