On Wednesday morning, tragedy struck as a 12-year-old schoolboy was fatally struck by a car on Nelson Mandela Boulevard in Woodstock.
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A Grade 5 student from Walmer Primary School was fatally struck while heading to school at 6:57am, causing traffic disruptions as authorities closed the inbound lanes near the Searle Street turn-off. It’s believed the child was trying to cross the inbound lanes when the accident happened.
Maxine Bezuidenhout, spokesperson for Traffic Services, confirmed the accident, stating, ‘This led to a secondary collision involving two additional vehicles. The pedestrian was pronounced deceased by paramedics.
‘The affected lanes were reopened just before 11am.’
Approximately one hour following the incident, a man presumed to be the child’s father arrived at the scene accompanied by three other individuals. However, emergency workers, mindful of the distraught state of the father, kept him away from the tragic scene.
Bronagh Hammond, spokesperson for the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), stated that the department is currently offering counselling and assistance to the affected school.
‘This is a tragic incident and we send our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the learner, as well as the school community,’ Hammond said in a statement.
Sergeant Wesley Twigg, spokesperson for the Cape Town Central police, reported that a case of culpable homicide was registered following an accident yesterday morning on Searle Street, resulting in the fatal injury of a 12-year-old boy.
‘The victim was declared deceased on the scene by medical personnel.
‘The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation and no arrests have been made,’ Twigg said.
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