Selma Ikela

WINDHOEK - A 46-year-old woman died yesterday morning after her vehicle – allegedly with a faulty handbrake – rolled backwards and trapped her underneath it before coming to a standstill some metres into her neighbour’s yard. It is alleged that the woman tried to stop the vehicle which  was rolling on a slight slope. Paramedics declared the woman dead on the scene, just a few metres from her home. The incident happened yesterday morning at about 07h40 in Goreangab settlement of Katutura. Namibian police spokesperson Deputy Commissioner Edwin Kanguatjivi confirmed the incident and identified the deceased as Hamenenge Tuwilika Ndawamuye Hameva. Her next of kin have been informed. 

Kanguatjivi said Hameva was about to leave home to go buy salt.  He told New Era that the vehicle, a Madza pickup, had a faulty handbrake.  The driver parked the vehicle and it was idling.  
“It rolled down.  It is alleged she tried stopping the vehicle but it knocked her down and dragged her for a few metres. Her neighbours came to her aid but it was too late. The ambulance was summoned to the scene,” said Kanguatjiv, adding that the driver was thereafter declared dead. 
According to the deceased’s neighbour, the incident happened  while he was preparing to go to work. He said his other neighbour knocked on his door informing him there was a car that had come to a standstill in the ditch in his yard.
“I came out and we went to inspect. It looked like there was someone under the car. We looked and the person is my neighbour.  She was moving. Her eyes were open. Her fingers were moving when we called out to her,” narrated the neighbour.
The neighbour added that since there were two of them, one ran to the neighbours to look for a car jack but it was unsuccessful.  He said they further went to look for more people to lift the car in order to remove the woman. He stated they tried lifting the car but it was too heavy.
The neighbour said they called a man who was passing by at the road to assist them. “We asked if he doesn’t have a car jack. He quickly ran home to get it. We jacked the car and when it lifted, the woman’s body was removed,” he narrated. 
He said during that time they had also informed the police.  He said the City Police and an ambulance arrived and the paramedics examined the woman.  She was then covered with a cloth, indicating that she was no more.  
The deceased’s family refused to speak to the media.