Niël Terblanché
THE nine-year-old Tate-Okwati Mathias died instantly when he fell from a trailer while helping his father to fetch water for their house on Farm Abbabis near Karibib.
According to the incident report provided by the Namibian Police in the Erongo Region, the tragedy occurred at about 10:30 on Sunday morning while the boy, his 16-year-old brother and 52-year-old father, who is and employee on the farm, drove back home from the water point.
The little boy sustained a fatal injury when he fell from the trailer on which he and his older brother rode.
“Mathias, who was a Grade 3 learner at Eben-Haeser Primary School in Karibib, hit his head on the ground when he fell which caused his instant death.”
As a result of the tragedy the father now face possible charges of culpable homicide and reckless and negligent driving.
According to the incident report the Toyota bakkie used by the father to pull the trailer to fetch water was not roadworthy. He was not arrested.
WRECKAGE SCATTERED: The scene of the accident on the road between Omaruru and Uis where a 40-year-old man lost his life on Saturday. Photos: Contributed 
WRECKAGE SCATTERED: The scene of the accident on the road between Omaruru and Uis where a 40-year-old man lost his life on Saturday. Photos: Contributed
The death of the little boy on Sunday morning follows another fatal motor vehicle accident on Saturday afternoon on the gravel road between Omaruru and Uis about ten kilometres from the turn-off to Okombahe.
According to the incident report a man, the 40-year-old Maurisius Lutayilumwe, died instantly when the vehicle, in which he was a passenger, left the road and overturned.
Lutayilumwe along with five other people were on their way from Omaruru to Farm Harmony near Uis when the accident occurred.
The driver of the vehicle was also pulling a trailer with Hyundai bakkie that was not road worthy. The left rear tyre burst, which caused the driver to lose control over the vehicle.
The 47-year-old driver and three of his other passengers only sustained slight injuries while a fourth passenger, a 56-year-old man, was seriously injured.
In this case the police also registered a case of culpable homicide as well as a case of reckless and negligent driving against the driver.
All the injured people were transported to the Omaruru State Hospital for emergency medical treatment.
