Pretoria – A man met a fiery death in Crown Street in Waterkloof in a bizarre incident on an otherwise peaceful Monday morning.
The unidentified man died on Monday at about 10am while another unidentified man who was with him managed to run away.
“The SAPS (South African Police Service) received a call about suspicious people in the area,” said Captain Coba Brits, spokesperson for the Brooklyn police.
“When the SAPS arrived they encountered two men who tried to flee.”
She said the one ran away on foot while the other man got into an unidentified vehicle and tried to use it to escape.
“When he tried to drive off the police blocked his way and he crashed into a drainage pipe. When he gained control of the vehicle he tried to drive off again and crashed into a tree. The car then caught fire,” she said.
A car on fire in Crown Street, Waterkloof, after hitting a tree.
Picture: Thobile Mathonsi/ANA Pictures
The fire department was called and the fire was extinguished but the man died on the scene.
“A case of culpable homicide was opened and the police are investigating.”
The man who fled is still on the run. Brits said they could not speculate on why the two ran away at the sight of the police officers.
Neighbours who stopped by the scene to observe said they heard gunshots but Brits said she could not confirm if there was a shootout.
She appealed to the public to call the Brooklyn police station if they had any further information on the incident.