Car chase leaves one dead
Four other road deaths reported and nine arrests made
ADRAMATIC late-night chase involving suspected house-breakers, police and a patrollers from a private security company has left one of the suspects dead. Eight other people, including five police officers, were injured in the incident.
Members of Deep Blue security were patrolling in Marina Da Gama, near Muizenberg, when they noticed a maroon Mercedes-Benz leaving Fisherman’s Quay.
They recognised its number plates as belonging to a vehicle that had been reported as suspicious.
The local neighbourhood watch had tipped them off to a vehicle fitting the description.
When the four occupants of the Mercedes-Benz noticed the patrol vehicle, they sped off, and the security officers gave chase.
“Our officers recognised the vehicle and the registration number from an alert that came from surrounding neighbourhood watches,” Francois Niemand, operations manager of Deep Blue said.
During the high-speed chase, the Mercedes-Benz smashed head-on into a police van.
“Our armed response officers immediately pursued the vehicle and while pursuing the vehicle, the suspects’ vehicle smashed into an SAPS vehicle,” Niemand said.
The five police officers in the van sustained injuries, SAPS spokesman Captain FC van Wyk said.
One was in a serious condition, two were less serious and the other two suffered minor injuries, Van Wyk said.
The police members were taken to nearby hospitals for medical treatment. Two of them were discharged after receiving treatment. The other three were still in hospital, he said.
One of the fleeing suspects died on the scene, while the other three were being treated in hospital under police guard. Van Wyk said cases of culpable homicide, attempted housebreaking and possession of a stolen motor vehicle were being investigated.
In other road traffic operations over the weekend, nine people were arrested on the province’s roads.
Western Cape Traffic Chief Kenny Africa said four people were killed, two of whom were pedestrians.
On Saturday morning a pedestrian died in Potsdam and in Fish Hoek a minbus passenger died in a collision with a light motor vehicle, he said.
Another pedestrian died and in Muizenberg a vehicle passenger died, Africa said.
A NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH TIPPED THEM OFF TO A VEHICLE FITTING THE DESCRIPTION