A student died on Saturday after he and two others allegedly jumped from a moving bakkie on the R523 in Limpopo.
The tragic incident occurred on Saturday, 13 June, on the road between Ngovhela and Sibasa.
The other two students are fighting for their lives in the hospital. According to the Limpopo department of Transport and Community Safety, the students jumped out of the fast-moving vehicle in an effort to escape after realising they had already passed the destination they intended to reach.
Suspicious Activity
According to preliminary reports, the three university students boarded the back of a utility bakkie.
Along the way, the students reportedly realised that the driver was behaving suspiciously and noticed that they had passed their intended destination.
The motorist allegedly ignored their pleas and accelerated when the students repeatedly yelled and signalled for the driver to pull over.
Fearing for their safety and sensing that they were being abducted, the three students made a desperate attempt to save themselves from danger by jumping directly out of the fast-moving vehicle onto the tarmac.
Student dies on impact
One student suffered fatal injuries upon hitting the road and was unfortunately pronounced deceased on the scene. The remaining students sustained severe injuries and were rushed to a nearby medical facility by emergency services.
The driver of the bakkie failed to stop to offer assistance or to assess the situation after the students had jumped from the vehicle, and instead chose to speed away from the scene.
Police officials in Limpopo have launched a full-scale investigation looking into the incident, and a manhunt is underway to track down the fleeing driver.
Meanwhile, the identity of the deceased student is being withheld until the next of kin has been formally notified.
Authorities are treating this case with high urgency and are appealing to anyone who may have seen a utility bakkie speeding along the R523 between Ngovhela and Sibasa on Saturday to come forward.
