A tragic series of events on Cape Town’s N1 left two people dead and a traffic officer injured in a hit-and-run incident.

The officer was responding to a fatal motorbike-pedestrian collision when he was struck by a fleeing bakkie driver.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning, shortly after midnight, near the footbridge on the N1 near the Kraaifontein Okavango off-ramp, where a speeding motorbike crashed into a woman, killing both of them.

Police spokesman Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed the fatal crash as well as traffic police being struck by a vehicle at the scene.

Twigg explains: “Reports were that the motorcycle hit the pedestrian.

“The 31-year-old motorcyclist and an adult female were pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel, while another female victim was taken to a medical facility for treatment.

“The traffic officer who came to the scene was also injured after being hit by another vehicle. “He was taken to a health institution for treatment.”

JP Smith, a member of the city’s mayoral committee on safety and security, said the traffic officer was on his way to the scene of the death when he was hit by a white bakkie and the driver fled the scene.

He said the officer’s leg was broken in the hit-and-run incident.

Twigg said Kraaifontein police had registered a case of culpable homicide for investigation.

District councilor Rhynhardt Bresler says there are numerous footbridges and vehicle bridges on the N1 that provide safe crossing options for pedestrians.

He says it is a crime for pedestrians to cross a national road, except for places like bridges.

Bresler explains: “There are many factors that could have contributed to the accident; speed, negligence, abuse of alcohol, etc. I don’t know what the conditions were here.

“It is very sad that such accidents occur and deaths occur.

“I would really appeal to pedestrians not to cross national roads other than safe pedestrian crossings provided for them to cross.”

Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to call Crime Stop on 08600 10111.

This incident coincides with City agencies arresting 298 suspects on various charges over the weekend, Smith said.

Traffic police caught 52 suspects, 36 for drunk driving, 11 for careless and negligent driving, and the other 5 for different crimes.

“They recorded 56,923 crimes, seized 226 public transport vehicles and issued 2,040 arrest warrants,” says Smith.

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