Officers killed after car hits stray animal

THREE North West police officers tracing a wanted suspected died in a road accident in the Eastern Cape yesterday morning.

Police spokesperson Sabata Mokgwabone said they died when their vehicle hit a stray animal along the R61 road near Xholosini village.

“Three members died instantly, while the fourth one was seriously injured and transported to hospital for medical attention.”

Mokgwabone dismissed reports that the police officers were in the Eastern Cape to attend a memorial service or were part of a team assigned to investigate the shooting at the Ngcobo police station last week.

Five police officers and a soldier were killed when a gang attacked the station.

“They departed from Potchefstroom to Mthatha, Eastern Cape, in the afternoon on Monday, February 26 to trace a suspect on two cases of murder, one of rape and another one of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm that were reported in the province between 2008 and 2011.”

The crimes were committed in Rustenburg, Tlhabane and Stilfontein.

North West provincial commissioner Baile Motswenyane and North West Community Safety and Transport Management MEC Dr Mpho Motlhabane expressed their condolences to the families of the officers.

“This is an unfortunate and tragic incident in which we lost three of our committed members in the line of duty. We pray that the families and members of the police in the province have the strength to endure in this moment of grief,” said Motswenyane. – African News Agency (ANA)