Umhlanga Rocks, KZN – Monday, 19 August 2024
A police officer linked to a fatal hit-and-run incident in Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal, has been found dead in an apparent suicide at a hotel in Umhlanga Rocks this morning.
The tragic sequence of events began in the early hours of Friday, 16 August 2024, when 26-year-old Phumla Mtshali was fatally struck by a black Toyota Fortuner on Phoenix Highway.
The driver fled the scene without helping the critically injured woman, leaving her to succumb to her injuries.
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A key piece of evidence, a registration plate that was left at the scene, was mysteriously removed shortly after the accident, further complicating the investigation.
Hours after the incident, Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) received a tip-off from a local farmer who reported a suspicious vehicle abandoned on his property in Canelands, KZN. RUSA officers responded swiftly and discovered the Toyota Fortuner, heavily damaged and with its registration plates missing.
To their astonishment, the vehicle was fitted with blue emergency lights, raising immediate suspicion.
Upon conducting a vehicle ownership check using the license disk, it was confirmed that the Fortuner belonged to the South African Police Service (SAPS).
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Adding to the intrigue, the vehicle had been reported stolen at the Phoenix SAPS station on the very day of the hit-and-run.
Further investigation revealed that this was the same vehicle involved in the accident that claimed the life of Phumla Mtshali, a mother of two.
Mtshali’s family, grappling with their loss, expressed their belief that the officer involved had reported the vehicle stolen in a desperate attempt to derail the investigation.
The investigation took a dark and unexpected turn when it was confirmed by RUSA that a Warrant Officer from the SAPS, who was the prime suspect in the case, was being sought for arrest on charges of culpable homicide related to Mtshali’s death.
The officer, aware that his time was running out, reportedly made a series of distressing phone calls to his family members before taking his own life in an Umhlanga hotel.
The details of the hotel are being withheld to protect the privacy of those involved.
This tragic incident has sent shockwaves through the community, raising serious questions about the conduct of those entrusted with upholding the law.
As the investigation continues, both the SAPS and RUSA are working to uncover the full details surrounding the officer’s actions and the circumstances leading to this devastating conclusion.
For now, the community mourns the loss of a young mother whose life was cut short and grapples with the complex emotions surrounding the death of the officer involved.
The investigation remains ongoing, and further details will be released as they become available.
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