Traffic cop recalls colleague's painful last moments after speedster ran him over

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West Rand City Traffic Chief Kenny Mampondo has narrated the gruesome scene that greeted him after rushing to where a speeding motorist had run over his colleague. Mampondo said the injuries officer James Kolo sustained were very severe, and left him with no chance to survive the impact. “On arrival, I saw Officer Kolo’s right leg was stuck between the exhaust of the car which was a Nissan SUV. From the nature of the injuries you could tell they were severe; he had a big gash on the left side of his head. He also seemed to have a broken his spine because his body was twisted. “What’s more painful is that he was still alive when I arrived, but by the time the emergency services came he had given up,” said Mampondo. The traffic chief was part of the delegation that joined Rand West City executive mayor Brenda Mahuma on Tuesday to convey their condolences to the officer’s family.

Speaking after meeting the family, Mahuma said: “The family is trying their level best. This is not easy, especially for the one son and wife. We are there for them as the municipality, especially his colleagues and seniors he was working with.

“We are trying our best to give as much comfort as we can, given the situation and we believe time will tell as it heals all wounds.”

Mampondo said Kolo’s death was a tragic accident, and that they had lost a friend and colleague.

“The information we have is that the crew member who was on duty with him was assessing a vehicle that he had stopped.

“Upon inspection, he discovered that the vehicle had defects. When he went to fetch his ticket book in the van, he suddenly heard a loud bang, and as he turned around he saw Officer Kolo flying through the air.”

Mampondo said Kolo’s death had taken a toll on his colleagues, especially the officer who witnessed the horrific scene.

“The colleague was taken to hospital so that they could deal with the trauma. He is at home. He has been booked off for the week by the doctor, and counselling was provided to all the officers at the station,” he said.