Rundu
A 10-year-old schoolgirl was fatally struck by a tyre that fell off a moving car at about 12:30 on Friday.
The incident happened on the Trans-Zambezi Highway when the victim was crossing the road to a nearby shop to go and buy a soft drink for her aunt.
Witnesses said the tyre fell off a black VW Jetta with registration N126RU, travelling from east to west. The victim was killed on the spot.
The deceased was identified as Plotilde Simbumburu, a learner at Ndama Combined School and a resident of Ndama, a location next to the highway.
Simbumburu’s family rushed to the scene after they heard their neighbours and passersby wailing after witnessing the horrific incident. Some shocked family members fainted.
Motorists have on several occasions been warned by the police to slow down when driving on the highway which, near Rundu, cuts through residential areas.
“Drivers must really be cautious when driving on that road; they have to exercise extreme care. In this case, as in any other culpable homicide case, we have to wait for a decision from the prosecutor general on whether to prosecute the driver or not,” said Detective Chief Inspector Chrispin Mubebo of the Kavango East Regional Police.