A six-year-old boy from Lutzville, a small town on the West Coast, was rushed to the hospital with fractures in both legs after an unfortunate incident involving a 70-year-old man. The incident occurred on Station Road in Lutzville when the boy and his mother were out for a walk around noon on Friday. The driver of a vehicle with a trailer attached allegedly drove straight at them, hitting the child and running over him.
The police are currently investigating the case, looking into charges of attempted murder and reckless and negligent driving. The elderly man involved has been arrested in connection with the incident. According to Billy Claasen from the Rural and Farmworkers Development Organization, the child was reportedly run over by a farmer after he was caught taking fruit from the farmer’s orchard.
Claasen emphasized that while stealing is not acceptable, the extreme action of hitting and running over a child with a vehicle is completely unjustifiable and intolerable. He expressed relief that the suspect has been apprehended following pressure from their organization on the police to take action in the case.
This tragic incident in Lutzville is reminiscent of another incident that occurred in Klawer back in February 2022. A 13-year-old boy named Jerobejin van Wyk lost his life after allegedly stealing mangoes from a tree in a resident’s garden. Similarly, the teenager was struck by a bakkie before he was fatally injured. The man accused of his murder, Daniel Smit, is awaiting trial later this year.
As for the elderly farmer involved in the recent incident in Lutzville, he appeared in court on Monday, and the case has been postponed to the following week. It is crucial to ensure that children are protected and safe from harm, regardless of the circumstances. These incidents serve as stark reminders of the importance of peaceful conflict resolution and the protection of innocent lives in our communities. Let us hope that justice is served, and steps are taken to prevent such tragedies from reoccurring in the future.