A sand-carrying truck has crushed a seven-year-old boy, identified as Prosper Eta, to death in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
It was learnt that the incident occurred on Wednesday about 12.10pm on Goodnews Street, Azikoro Village area of the state capital.
Eta was said to be running an errand for his mother when he met the horrible death.
The deceased, who lived in the area, was reportedly trying to cross the road to deliver a pack of nylon bags to a fish seller across the road when he met his untimely death.
An eyewitness, who identified himself only as James, said the victim on crossing the road was unaware of an approaching speeding truck, which he tried to dodge but was eventually knocked down by the front tyres.
The eyewitness, a commercial tricyclist, described the sudden death of the boy as horrific.
James said, “I just dropped a passenger and made a u-turn to the side of the road where the boy was standing.
“I sighted the truck but immediately I stopped beside the boy, I saw him trying to cross the road but it was too late because the truck was already close to him.
“The truck driver also saw him late because he tried to apply emergency break. Unfortunately, the driver’s effort was not enough. It was a gory sight because the the tyre burst the stomach of the boy and dragged his intestines.”
Also, a woman, Pere, said the deceased was sent to give her a pack of nylon bag when the incident happened.
“It was shocking. I saw him die. He was asked to give nylon bags and he was trying to cross the road when the truck crushed him,” she said.
She advised parents to be mindful of the kind of errands they send their little children especially in areas known to have high traffic movement.
It was learnt that a police patrol team later took the remains of the deceased to an undisclosed mortuary.
But the driver of the truck was said to have run to a nearby police station to avoid being attacked by angry mob.
Calls to the spokesman, Bayelsa State Command, Asinim Butswat, indicated that it was not reachable.
Source: punch
