A case of culpable homicide will be opened at the Linden SAPS following a fatal hit-and-run in Linden on the evening of July 17 at the corner of 1st Avenue and 8th Street.

When JMPD officers arrived at the scene, they found an unknown pedestrian who had sustained fatal injuries. “The body was subsequently removed and transported to the Hillbrow Mortuary,” said JMPD superintendent Xolani Fihla.

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He explained that, based on the preliminary investigation, JMPD can attest that this was a hit-and-run incident. “An unknown vehicle, travelling from south to north along 1st Avenue, drove over the pedestrian, and failed to stop at the scene.”

The victim, a male, was carrying no form of identification with him. Fihla said that, at this time, it is unknown if the victim was a displaced person. “This will likely be determined as part of the ongoing investigation and identification process.”

Hit-and-run incidents present several significant challenges for JMPD. Fihla highlighted them as being:

• Without the vehicle or driver present, identifying the perpetrator becomes much more difficult.
• Witnesses may not have seen critical details, or there may be no witnesses at all.
• Evidence left at the scene, such as vehicle debris or tire marks, can be minimal or degraded.
• This often requires extensive investigation by the police, including reviewing CCTV footage, public appeals, and following up on anonymous tips.
• Determining if the driver was aware they had struck someone can be complex.

Due to the victim not having any identification, their family has not yet been notified. This is an ongoing investigation, and more information will be provided as it becomes available.

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