Ficksburg - Free State police have arrested a murder suspect following a high-speed car chase ending in a crash which killed four people.
On Thursday, a 27-year-old woman of Namahadi in Qwaqwa was found dead in her home by police, Captain Phumelelo Dhlamini said on Saturday.
“It is alleged that her 22-year-old husband strangled her and left her dead in the house. Then the suspect drove away together with their little daughter aged about five, and was stopped at Senekal by traffic officers for driving at high speed.”
At the scene, the man allegedly tried to bribe a traffic officer not to arrest him and when the officer refused, the man drove off at high speed.
The traffic officer called for backup and the Marquard police erected a roadblock on the R707.
The suspect did not stop at the roadblock and collided with a vehicle that had Lesotho registration numbers.
Four people in that vehicle died instantly, and police and traffic vehicles were also damaged.
The suspect and his daughter sustained minor injuries and were admitted to Senekal hospital where he was under police guard.
“It was then discovered that the suspect was fleeing from the scene of the murder in Namahadi. He was arrested and will appear before the Marquard Magistrate’s Court on Monday on charges of murder, culpable homicide, and bribery of the traffic official,” Dhlamini said.
African News Agency