Durban, South Africa - Eight people were injured Saturday night outside Durban after a South African policeman shot out the tyre of a car in an attempt to clear a path for a politician's motorcade. According to the Sapa news agency, the incident occurred when a Mazda did not immediately move to a passing lane when a convoy carrying Meshack Radebe, the social welfare minister of the state of KwaZulu-Natal, came up behind it near the town of Pietermaritzburg.
After the tire was shot out, the Mazda's driver lost control. The car veered into oncoming traffic and collided with at least one other vehicle. Eight people were injured, four of them critically. The highway was blocked for about an hour.
According to Sapa, the car carrying the officer who fired the shot fled the scene. The officer has been charged with attempted murder. His identity was not released.
There have been multiple complaints in recent months of law enforcement officers endangering other motorists in an effort to clear roads for official motorcades.
