Child dies after being hit by fire department bakkie

A 9-year-old boy from Republic Primary School in Bethelsdorp was killed after being hit by a Metro Fire Department and Emergency Services bakkie while running across Stanford Road at about 1:45pm on Tuesday.

L-Jay Peterson was killed after a  fire department bakkie collided into him when he allegedly ran across the road.

The bakkie was driving down Stanford road towards Clearly Park direction when the accident happened.

Police spokeswoman Colonel Priscilla Naidu said that the emergency vehicle belonging to the fire department was travelling in the IPTS bus lane when the child ran across the road.

“It is alleged that the child was with a group of school children who were standing on the road waiting to be guided by the scholar patroller. The scholar patroller stopped traffic and L-Jay Peterson ran across the road,” she said.

“The driver failed to stop in time went straight into the child who died on the scene,” she said.

Naidu said that the fire department official was not arrested and a case of culpable homicide was under investigation.

“The police accident response unit will assist with the scene reconstruction and based on witness statements, the docket will be taken to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for a decision to be made,” she said.

No timeline could be given as to when the case would be finalised.