Cape Town - A suspected drunk driver was fatally shot by a traffic officer who was driving him to the Kraaifontein police station and who he apparently attacked on the way there - resulting in the shot being fired.
Kyle Weideman, 22, who, according to his Facebook profile, had studied civil engineering at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) in Bellville, died early on Saturday. He had apparently driven through a red traffic light prompting the officer to follow him and pull him over in the Brackenfell area.
On Sunday, provincial traffic chief Kenny Africa said the officer, a member of the provincial department, had taken Weideman to the Shadow Centre along Vanguard Drive in Athlone where a sample of his blood was taken to see if he had been driving under the influence of alcohol. Africa said the officer had planned to take Weideman to the Kraaifontein police station.
The traffic officer and Weideman had been alone in the vehicle. Africa said, according to information gathered so far, Weideman had started assaulting the officer while he was driving on the N1 highway near Cape Gate Shopping Precinct.
Police spokesman Andre Traut said the officer arrested Weideman around 5.30am at the Okavango off-ramp on the N1 in Brackenfell.
Traut’s information about where the incident happened differed from Africa’s in that Traut said during his arrest, Weideman had attacked the officer.
“The suspect stabbed the traffic officer with a sharp instrument whereafter the suspect was shot and fatally wounded by the officer.”
He said the circumstances surrounding the incident were being probed. A death inquest docket had been registered.
On Weideman’s Facebook page, it said he had graduated in 2010 and worked at Haw and Inglis, a construction company.
Under favourite quotations, it said: “Stick 2 wat is right (sic).”
Condolence messages were posted on a relative’s page. Nico October posted on his page: “Rest In Peace Kyle, my cousin. I am missing you so much! Not even a chance to say goodbye breaks me the most.”
On Saturday, he posted “in total shock” and explained to a Facebook friend it was because of the death of his cousin.
* On Sunday, Africa said 12 roadblocks were held on Friday and another 12 on Saturday. He said 2 087 vehicles had been stopped, 883 drivers were tested for alcohol and of these 37 drunk drivers were arrested.
Africa said when it came to speeding, a 40-year-old woman from Cape Town driving a BMW 5 Series was arrested yesterday between Aberdeen and Beaufort West for driving at 188km/h in a 120km zone.
She was detained in the Beaufort West police station and was expected to appear in a court there on Monday.
Cape Times