RTI officer injured while stopping drunk driver's N3 rampage
THE Mahindra bakkie that was driven by a drunken motorist who was eventually nabbed after he went on a rampage on the N3 crashing into multiple vehicles, assaulting an RTI officer and fleeing a scene of an accident in the early hours of this morning, on Hilton Avene. The bakkie only stopped after being rear-ended by an RTI officer who sustained injuries.
Image: KWAZULU-NATAL RTI
ONE of the vehicles that was damaged in Howick Avenue by a fleeing Mahindra bakkie driven by a drunken motorist who was being chased by an RTI officer who had to rear-end the Mahindra to force it to stop.
Image: KWAZULU-NATAL RTI
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, has praised traffic officers for their bravery after a dramatic high-speed chase ended with the arrest of a drunk motorist who wreaked havoc on the N3 in the early hours of this morning.
According to the Transport Department, chaos erupted at around 02h30 when a female motorist alerted the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) after a drunk driver crashed into her car and fled the scene.
Officers later spotted a white Mahindra bakkie headed north on Chota Motala Road in Pietermaritzburg. An RTI officer confronted the bakkie driver, who allegedly became violent and assaulted the officer before fleeing again.
The driver sped onto the N3, colliding with several vehicles while heading towards Howick, before crashing into another vehicle on Hilton Avenue, via the R103. On Hilton Avenue, the bakkie crashed into yet another light delivery vehicle.
During the pursuit, RTI officer Phiwokuhle Ndabezitha sustained injuries after rear-ending the Mahindra in a bid to stop it.
“We wish him a speedy recovery. He showed bravery and went the extra mile to save innocent lives,” said Duma.
The motorist was eventually arrested and remanded in custody. He faces multiple charges, including assault, reckless and negligent driving, and fleeing the scene of an accident.
In a separate incident, RTI officers arrested an IT specialist on the N2 near Park Rynie after he was caught speeding at 192 km/h.
Duma said both incidents highlight the province’s zero-tolerance stance on reckless and drunk driving. He also confirmed that 278 new traffic officer posts had been advertised to further strengthen enforcement.
“Months ago, I mandated the team to clean up our road networks by coming down very hard on reckless and drunk motorists,” he said.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE