FATAL CRASH: COP CONFESSES, SLAPPED WITH 8 COUNTS

MANZINI- “While enjoying myself with alcoholic beverages, I had it in my mind that I should not take in excess of the legal limit while not testing myself using any gadget.”

These were the words of the traffic police officer, Wandile Prince Ntshalintshali (32) of Matsapha, in statements recorded and submitted in court yesterday. The officer made his court appearance before Magistrate Philisiwe Simelane yesterday. Ntshalintshali, who surrendered himself to his colleagues and later spent the night at Mafutseni Police Station, was charged with eight offences, four of culpable homicide and the others were failing to stop after the accident, failing to ascertain injuries, failing to render assistance to the victims, failing to report the accident and further giving the police false information.

In the statements, the officer mentioned that on the day of the accident, he had been having alcoholic beverages at a canteen for one of the security forceswith a friend who was in the company of a woman, his lover. He said he was aware he had an obligation to drop off the two lovers in Mahlanya before returning to Matsapha police camp, where he would then rest.
“Upon arrival at my friend’s place, we found a number of people enjoying themselves and decided to stay, however, for a short period as I had to go to work on the following day.

Optimistic

“As I drank, I was highly optimistic that I was not at all in excess of the legal limit, considering what I had consumed on the day. “After a while, I decided to leave and drove my car in very cold weather condition (sic),” Ntshalintshali said in the statements. He added that when he got to the Bethany junction, there was a lapse of concentration after he was disturbed by an oncoming vehicle with head lamps on bright mode. The officer mentioned that at that moment, he lost control of his vehicle, an Isuzu LDV, which veered off the main road and knocked the pedestrians. “I was not aware of the number, however, I was informed later that it was actually four people who I had knocked. The vehicle went into the sugar cane fields where it landed,” he said.

Ntshalintshali also revealed that due to the trauma, he failed to take full responsibility of his actions and left the scene.

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