Windhoek
An Otjomuise family mourning the death of a relative were burdened by yet more bad news after being informed a seven-year-old boy living at the mourning household was hit and killed by a vehicle close to home.
The sad incident happened last Thursday evening.
The boy, Hermanus Narib, a Grade 1 pupil at Otjomuise Project School, was on his way to buy chips (crisps) when tragedy struck. The accident happened at the same time family members and friends had assembled at home for a funeral service.
The suspect is a 19-year-old boy who drove a Toyota Hilux Bakkie that hit Narib who died on the scene.
The suspect has been arrested and was due to appear in the Katutura Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Police spokesperson Slogan Matheus said the driver is being charged with culpable homicide while a second charge is driving without a driver’s licence.
Matheus explained the suspect has a learner’s licence but he was driving alone at the time of the accident. The third charge is one of reckless and/or negligent driving.
According to Narib’s aunt, Veronica Kharuxas, her nephew was on his way to buy N$1 chips not far from their home, which is opposite the road. This while at the family home they were having a funeral service for Narib’s grandfather.
Because of the funeral, relatives said, Narib’s mother was initially unaware that there was an accident in which her son had passed on.
But when New Era spoke to the family on Friday morning the deceased’s mother had already been informed about the tragedy.
“We told her last night. It is a very difficult moment for her as she is already dealing with our father’s death. It is very difficult,” said Kharuxas.
“It is hard to accept his death. We don’t understand the death. Our father passed on … okay … he was sick but the child. It’s difficult because he wasn’t ill. It’s not easy,” said a grief-stricken Kharuxas.