Mhlaba Memela

Mhlaba Memela

Police in northern KwaZuluNatal are in mourning after the death of two of their colleagues in a horrific accident involving a police vehicle and a private car transporting officers from home to work yesterday.

Four other officers were injured in the accident on the N11 freeway near Ladysmith in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

The accident happened when a police vehicle travelling from Elandslaagte on the N11 on Sunday afternoon collided head-on with a Golf transporting officers from the neigbouring Newcastle unit.

Police spokesman Charmaine Struwig said it had subsequently been established that the occupants of the Golf were four off-duty police officials from Madadeni.

"They were on their way to work," Struwig said. "The driver of the police vehicle was seriously injured and is in critical condition in hospital, while his passengers suffered minor injuries."

A member of the public who was in the police vehicle at the time of the collision suffered slight injuries.

Struwig said it was tragic to lose two members under such horrific circumstances.

"It's a sad moment for us in the unit to have members lying critical in the hospital and others dead."

Struwig said it was not clear how the accident had happened.

"But our collision unit is working on the matter.

The deceased's names have not yet been released since all the next of kin have not yet been informed of the deaths."

A case of culpable homicide was being investigated, Struwig said.