Heartbreak as man allegedly drives over 18-month-old boy in driveway

A culpable homicide case has been opened after a man allegedly drove his Ford Ranger bakkie over an 18-month-old toddler on Monday, the police say.

According to police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo, the man was believed to be a tenant at a block of flats on the premises.

“[The man] was entering the yard when he allegedly drove over the boy,” Mavela said. “[The child] was declared dead at the scene.”

Paramedics from Life Support 24/7 were on the scene and said the incident happened in Kameeldrift, Pretoria.

“Just after 18:30, we got a call to say that a child had been knocked over by a car in a driveway,” said Rufus Engelbrecht of Life Support 24/7.

“On arrival, we found a toddler in the driveway who had already passed on due to his injuries.

“The child had been driven over by a bakkie,” Engelbrecht said.

It is unclear how he had ended up in the driveway.

Engelbrecht said it was understood the man was the child’s uncle.

“The parents were coming out of the room when the uncle entered the premises. The uncle apparently didn’t see the child and by the time the parents saw the child, the child was already driven over,” Engelbrecht said.

“Trauma counsellors were on scene with the family, while the police have opened a docket,” Engelbrecht said.

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