South African football player surrenders to police after fatal crash

Allegedly, the football player fled the scene and surrendered to the police hours later.

A South African football player will be charged with culpable homicide and careless and negligent driving after he allegedly fled the scene of a fatal car crash that killed a teenage girl, local police said.

On Wednesday morning, Sekhukhune United player Shaun Mogaila, 29, allegedly crashed his BMW into a car carrying an adult woman and two children in Gauteng province.

The nine-year-old boy was “pronounced dead at the scene”, a police spokesman told local news site IOL.

Mr Mogaila handed himself in to Rabie Ridge Police Station hours after the accident occurred.

The actor was expected to appear in the magistrates’ court but there was a delay, a spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) told news website SowetanLive.

The woman and the 13-year-old child are currently receiving treatment in hospital.

Sekhukhune United has not yet commented on the incident.

While the video of the accident recorded on a vehicle camera went viral on social media, many people used angry expressions.

“This is what scares me about driving these days, the fact that I can get in the car and drive safely with my family and still pass away,” said one X user.

However, some came out to defend the footballer and praised him for turning himself in to the police.

“You guys who are busy condemning Shaune Mogaila, I hope you don’t have a car, have no idea what happens when you cause an accident, even if no one gets hurt, the poor guy later surrendered after coming to his senses,” another X user said.

Hours before the accident, the player was playing in a match against Richards Bay at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, Limpopo.