POLOKWANE – “THE last thing I remember before waking up in hospital was two gunshots going off.”

This provincial traffic official, whose high-speed chase after a suspect through Polokwane’s streets ended in a serious collision last Tuesday, spoke to Review exclusively on Friday.

The traffic official, whose name is withheld in the interest of the ongoing investigation, told Review that the high-speed chase began on the Tzaneen road just outside the city where he and three other traffic officials were busy with speed control.

He asked Review not to release the details of the luxury vehicle involved, as the investigation was at an extremely sensitive stage.

He did, however, confirm that the provincial traffic department had footage available that identified the vehicle and its registration number.

“The vehicle travelled at 135km/h in a 60km/h zone and the driver braked sharply when he saw us. As a result, the speed we finally recorded was 110km/h, which is still way over the speed limit,” the traffic official explained to Review.

He said one of the other traffic officials tried to flag the driver down. “He had to jump out of the way to avoid the vehicle driving over him.”

The traffic official in question said he was in his traffic vehicle when this occurred and immediately gave chase.

“Of course my emergency lights and siren were on throughout the incident. I would not have been able to keep up with the suspect if they weren’t,” he said in response to eye-witnesses’ allegations that his vehicle’s lights and siren were not switched on.

The fleeing suspect, who had three passengers in the car with him, led the traffic official on a chase through the city’s streets at around 100km/h.

“He turned into Compensatie Street from Thabo Mbeki Street and nearly collided with a taxi. He sped over the intersections and, because of my lights and siren, oncoming vehicles made way for me and I was able to keep chasing him,” he recalled.

He said just after crossing Jorissen Street, he was able to pull up next to the fleeing driver to tell him to stop his vehicle.

“The driver pulled out a firearm and pointed it at me. I slowed down to drive behind him. The last thing I remember before waking up in hospital was hearing two gunshots.”

He said he did not remember entering the intersection at Compensatie and Devenish Street or the collision that ensued. The official and the driver of the vehicle that collided with him both sustained head injuries.

“I feel much better and will go for a check up on Monday (yesterday),” he said.

He said the reality of what had happened only dawned on him in hospital when his two young children came to see him and they were in tears.

“That was when I realised that life can be snatched away in a moment. In the morning you say goodbye to your family and in the afternoon you could be dead,” he said.

He said his experience would not affect his attitude towards his work.

“When I became a law enforcement officer, I signed a contract and I knew what my job would entail. I am here to protect my community, the community that my family and I live in.”

Transport spokesperson, Mafenya Lediga confirmed that the matter was under investigation.

“Should the results of the investigations reveal that a crime was committed, the matter will be handed over to the police.”

High-speed chase ends in terrible crash