The police officers were transporting three suspects of motor vehicle theft who had just been arrested, when the SAPS van got involved in an accident with a Hyundai Atos.
Image: Yusuf Abramjee/X
Police in Gauteng have opened a case of culpable homicide after two suspects who were inside a marked police van died when the SAPS vehicle collided with a private vehicle in Sunnyside, Pretoria.
The incident happened on Tuesday, according to Gauteng provincial police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo.
“Five police officers who were inside the same police van sustained injuries and were taken to the nearest medical care centre for treatment,” said Masondo.
The police officers were transporting three suspects of motor vehicle theft they had just arrested, when the police van got involved in an accident with a Hyundai Atos.
“Two suspects died on the scene, while the third one was transported to the medical care centre for treatment,” said Masondo.
The driver of the private vehicle was not injured.
Masondo said the arrested suspects had been found in possession of car jammers and different sets of car registration plates.
Two people arrested for suspected vehicle theft died when a police van crashed in Sunnyside.
Image: Thobile Mathonsi/Independent Media
Earlier this month, IOL reported that police in Gauteng arrested three men suspected to be involved in a series of car hijackings in Pretoria and surrounding areas.
The arrests, made on January 14, followed a multi-agency operation that uncovered a firearm, ammunition, and a hijacked Volkswagen Golf GTI.
Acting on intelligence, a team comprising the SAPS Highway Patrol Unit, Tracker Connect, CAP Specialised Operations, and the Insurance Crime Bureau tracked the suspects to Pretoria Central, Masondo said at the time.
"A suspicious vehicle, with three occupants, was spotted in Pretoria Central. The team stopped the vehicle and searched all occupants. A firearm and large amount of ammunition was found in their possession. Further investigation revealed that the vehicle driven by the suspects was reported to be hijacked in Hillbrow and fitted with false registration plates," said Masondo.
Authorities believe that the suspects are linked to a local security company in Pretoria. Investigators are now working to establish the full extent of their alleged criminal activities.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
IOL
Related Topics: