RTI officer Timothy Simpson dies after state vehicle catches fire on N2 at Park Rynie

KwaZulu-Natal RTI officer dies after vehicle catches fire on N2

Timothy Simpson, an officer with the KwaZulu-Natal Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI), died after the state-owned vehicle he was travelling in caught fire while he was on duty on the N2 near Park Rynie on Tuesday night.

What happened

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport and Human Settlements confirmed the incident. The vehicle was reported to be completely engulfed in flames at about 8pm on Tuesday.

Official response and investigation

MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma said a team from the RTI has been assigned to work with a specialised team from the South African Police Service to investigate the circumstances surrounding Simpson’s death.

“We have assigned a team from the Road Traffic Inspectorate to work with a highly specialised team from the South African Police Service as part of an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of our hero, a hard-working and patriotic RTI officer from Park Rynie, Timothy Simpson,”

Duma said a specialised team was examining forensic and mechanical evidence to determine what caused the fire and that the circumstances that led to the blaze remain under investigation.

Support for family and colleagues

Duma said officials, including the department head Zibusiso Dlamini and senior management, would meet with the RTI Park Rynie team and visit Simpson’s family. He said a team was dispatched to meet the family the night of the incident.

“We dispatched a team to meet with the family late last night as a sign of respect to the departed colleague, who was respected for his discipline and dedication,”

Duma added that he wanted to meet Simpson’s wife and family and that the department would work with them to reflect on Simpson’s life. He expressed his condolences and described Simpson as one of the province’s most disciplined and hard-working RTI inspectors and an award-winning officer.

Ongoing inquiry

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fire is continuing.