A South African police officer has committed su!cide after he killed a young woman in a hit-and-run crash and fled the scene.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda in a statement on Monday, confirmed the 48-year-old officer’s death. He allegedly took his own life at a hotel in uMhlanga.

Netshiunda stated that the 26-year-old woman was knocked down along the Phoenix Highway in the early hours of Saturday morning.

At the time, Reaction Unit SA (Rusa) reported receiving a call from a local farmer about a black Toyota Fortuner on his property.

Rusa’s Prem Balram said the vehicle, equipped with blue lights and sirens, was damaged in the front.

“The vehicle’s registration plates were removed. The information obtained from the licence disc was handed over to police and it was established that the vehicle was reported stolen at Phoenix police station,” he said.

Balram said they later learned that the vehicle was involved n a hit-and-run and the driver fled the scene.

The woman killed at the scene was Phumla Mtshali. Her family reported the matter at the Phoenix police station and a culpable homicide case was opened.

Netshiunda said the front registration plate was picked up.

“Shortly after a case of culpable homicide was registered at Phoenix police station, a Sergeant who was the last person to be in possession of the state vehicle in question went to the same police station to open a case of theft of a motor vehicle,” Netshiunda said.

He said on Monday morning police received reports that the Sergeant, who was implicated in the hit-and-run incident, had taken his own life.

“Circumstances surrounding the apparent su!cide incident form part of police investigations,” Netshiunda said.