Publications
Partners
A heavily pregnant police constable from Delmas, Mpumalanga, died on Sunday of injuries sustained in a car accident, but doctors were able to safely deliver her baby.
Captain Jane Thandi Ntuli (36), who’d been stationed at the Delmas police station, had been on her way home on Saturday night, May 11, when she was involved in a serious car crash on the R42 to Bronkhorstspruit. It appears another vehicle had ploughed into hers from behind.
Colonel Mtsholi Bhembe, provincial police spokesperson, told YOU on Tuesday that Ntuli had been eight months pregnant. She was critically injured in the accident, which had happened while she was driving her private car.
“She was airlifted to hospital immediately after the crash,” Bhembe said. “Doctors managed to deliver the baby on Saturday evening, but sadly, Ntuli succumbed to her injuries [on] Sunday morning.”
Read: Mother and daughter die in crash with bakkie
He added that all her police colleagues are deeply saddened by the news. “It’s very tragic. It’s bad if it’s one of your own who dies in such tragic circumstances.”
Police are investigating allegations that the accident was caused by the other motorist running a stop street.
“The police are investigating a culpable homicide case. At this stage no arrests have been made. The suspect, who originally fled the scene, handed himself over the following day to the police. His warning statement was taken. It’ll now depend on the investigation what course of action will be taken.”
Major-General Frans Mashika, acting provincial police commissioner in Mpumalanga, has released a statement in which he expressed his condolences with Ntuli’s family, her colleagues and the community in which she served.
He emphasised the need for motorists to obey the rules of the road at all times in order to avoid road deaths.
