Times Of Swaziland: CAR WITH DAGGA KNOCKS DOWN COP, ROLLS

CAR WITH DAGGA KNOCKS DOWN COP, ROLLS
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 BY JOSEPH ZULU  on 09/06/2020 00:18:00


PIGG’S PEAK – A police officer is lucky to be alive after he was knocked
down by a vehicle while manning a roadblock near a place known as Enjakeni.
The incident is said to have happened on Sunday evening when the police officer,
together with a colleague, had mounted a roadblock.
It is alleged that the police officer signalled to the driver of the vehicle to
stop through the use of a hand.
Instead of stopping, the Honda Fit driver is said to have continued driving and
allegedly headed straight to the police officer and knocked him down.
Rushed
The injured law enforcer’s colleague was near the police vehicle when the
incident happened and he quickly rushed to check on the victim as the suspect
sped off.
A few minutes after hitting the police officer, the driver of the Honda Fit lost
control of the vehicle and it overturned.
It is believed the driver fled the scene after the accident as he was not found
inside when other police officers were called.
However, rolls of dagga were found inside the vehicle.
According to eyewitnesses, the driver of the vehicle is believed to have
alighted and fled while the other police officer was attending to his colleague
who was sprawled on the ground.
“We did not see which direction the driver took after alighting from the
vehicle,” said an eyewitness.
Due to the dagga that was found inside the vehicle, some members of the public
concluded that the driver may have tried to flee to avoid arrest.
It is not uncommon for people carrying dagga to evade arrest by speeding off.
Some motorists and members of the public are said to have tried to assist in
locating the driver, thinking that he might have been flung off the vehicle as
it overturned.
However, there was no sign of the driver who was believed to be nearby.
The injured police officer was rushed to Emkhuzweni Health Centre where he was
treated and discharged yesterday.
The name of the police officer will not be mentioned as he was not contacted for
comment on the matter.
It was, however, gathered that he was recently transferred to Buhleni Police
Post from Tshaneni Police Station.
Some of the motorists found at the accident scene were quick to blame the police
for the accident, stating that the road was too narrow for roadblocks.
They said it was difficult for a person to see a roadblock, adding that this, in
the end, resulted in people attempting to flee.
“Sometimes it is even hard to know if you are being stopped by a police
officer,” said one of the motorists.
The motorist also complained that on the same road, he was also stopped by a
police officer who was armed with a rifle.
Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, the Chief Police Information and
Communications Officer, confirmed the accident.
Vilakati also confirmed that the police officer had been discharged from
hospital.
She also revealed that the vehicle had overturned and that it had been impounded
by the police.
Vilakati further revealed that police officers discovered dagga inside the
vehicle and that investigations were ongoing.