Off-duty LEAP officer killed by drunk driver while assisting at accident scene

LEAP officer Lyle Thomas (20) was killed after being struck by a vehicle while assisting at an accident scene on Jakes Gerwel Drive in the early hours of Sunday, the City of Cape Town has confirmed.

City law enforcement spokesperson Wayne Dyason said Thomas was off duty when he stopped to help. “It was during this time that he was struck by a vehicle, and it was later determined that the motorist was under the influence of alcohol,” Dyason said.

The driver was detained at Samora Machel SAPS.

“We extend our condolences to the officer’s loved ones and his colleagues. This is an absolute tragic end to a young life,” Dyason said. He added that the Safety and Security Directorate would work tirelessly to ensure that justice is served and that the suspect “faces the full might of the law”.

Thomas was a Bonteheuwel resident, a member of the Bonteheuwel Neighbourhood Watch and part of the Law Enforcement Advancement Programme (LEAP).

Bonteheuwel ward councillor Angus McKenzie said Thomas was defined by service to his community.

“Even while off duty, his instinct was to help, to protect, and to serve,” McKenzie said. “It is in this same spirit of selflessness that he stopped at the scene of a serious motor vehicle accident and in a cruel and heartbreaking turn of events, lost his own life while doing so.”

McKenzie said he had personally spoken to Thomas’s mother, Rene, to convey condolences and support.

“We will never forget Lyle Thomas,” he said.

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Cape Argus