Pupil crushed by sand poacher truck

A GRADE Two pupil at Farai Primary School in Chitungwiza died on her way to school after she was crushed by a Seddon Atkinson 10-tonne truck believed to be owned by an illegal sand dealer which failed to negotiate a turn.

The accident took place at around 7am at a T-junction in Unit N when Delma Marunza (8) was on her way to school.

An eye witnesses said the girl tried to escape from the moving vehicle but fell.

"I was fetching water from a well when I saw this truck trying to turn in my direction. I stopped to see how the driver would turn since there a child by the curve.

"He proceeded to turn and the girl tried to jump into a water drain by the curve but she fell down and her head got crushed under the back wheels of the vehicle," said Mrs Memory Tapera.

Mrs Tapera said she screamed to get the attention of the driver who seemed unaware that he had crushed a child.

"The driver did not notice anything and I had to scream for him to stop his vehicle. That is when neighbours also came out to witness the incident. Someone used a brick to stop the vehicle because it had no brakes," she added.

Residents at the scene alleged the driver was once involved in another accident that claimed three lives.

More to follow.....