Traffic Officer in Gauteng Dies After Being Crushed by 'Unroadworthy' Taxi on R551

• A traffic officer was killed in the line of duty in Gauteng after an unroadworthy taxi reportedly collided with him at a roadblock
• The incident happened on the R551 regional route, and Moses Mathebula was rushed to the Naledi-Nkanyezi Private Hospital
• Gauteng MEC for Community Safety Faith Mazibuko described the incident as a tragic loss for the province's law enforcement community

A traffic officer in Gauteng was killed after an unroadworthy minibus taxi reportedly crashed into a roadblock on the R551 regional route.

Officer Moses Mathebula, who is understood to have been deployed at the Vereeniging regional offices, died at what was a roadside safety campaign aimed at checking vehicle safety, among others, on Wednesday.

TimesLIVE reported that Faith Mazibuko, the Gauteng MEC for Community Safety, indicated the taxi had a sudden mechanical issue that impeded the driver from applying the brakes on time.

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Mathebula was crushed by the vehicle as the driver attempted to manoeuvre it to the side but swerved back onto the road in the line of the officer.

“The taxi driver tried to swerve onto the left shoulder to avoid other queueing vehicles but pulled back on the road and crashed into the officer,” said Mazibuko.

According to The South African, other officers rushed their injured colleague to the critical care unit of the Clinix Naledi-Nkanyezi Private Hospital for further treatment. However, he succumbed to his injuries.

Taxi driver facing various charges

Briefly News understands the taxi driver was arrested and taken to the De Deur police station in the Sedibeng District Municipality of Vereeniging.

Mazibuko said the charges against the driver include culpable homicide and possession of an unroadworthy vehicle.

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“It is heartbreaking that a police officer lost his life in the line of duty due to negligent and reckless driving and the use of an unroadworthy vehicle.

“The officer paid the ultimate while trying to ensure the safety of Gauteng road users. His selfless service must continue to inspire other officers to continue doing their jobs with diligence and commitment,” added Mazibuko.

Cops come down hard on drunk drivers, 250 wanted suspects arrested

In recent related news, Briefly News reported that police have arrested 250 people on various charges, many of them relating to drunk driving as they clamp down on dangerous driving.

A large roadblock had been set up in Pretoria and Gauteng police commissioner Elias Mawela was personally in charge of operations.

Operation 'Okae Molao' has been hailed as a huge success with wanted criminals arrested. Police inspected cars, checking for any stolen vehicles and carried out breathalyzer tests on motorists.

Source: Briefly News