Tragedy as Kenyan in US runs over and kills his son

The accident has triggered revival of a campaign to sensitise motorists on the need to check their vehicles and the surroundings before driving off. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The man had left his home early morning for a local university where he is studying but realized he had forgotten some document and went to get it.

  • The incident has triggered revival of a campaign to sensitise motorists on the need to check their vehicles to prevent such tragedies from happening.

A Kenyan family living in the US is in pain after the father hit and killed their 18-month son while reversing his car on Monday.

Mr Dan Mutuma, who lives in Olathe, was reversing his car from the parking when the child, Mishael Mutuma, walked unnoticed behind the vehicle, and was run over.

DOCUMENT

The child was the grandson of Pastor Moses Mutuma of Miathene SDA district in Meru County.

Mr Mutuma’s brother-in-law Ezra Kamencu Mingaine said the tragic incident has left the young family distraught.

The man had left his home early morning for a local university where he is studying but realised he had forgotten some document and went to get it.

He hurriedly picked up the item, bid his wife Loise and mother-in-law goodbye, and quickly left the house without realising that his son had sneaked out of the house and followed him.

“It is so painful to the entire family and especially to the father to have crushed his own son. There is no way he could have seen the kid who was playing behind. The child had run unnoticed behind the vehicle as the father was reversing.

However, the family disputed Mr Mingaine's account that the boy was walking behind the car when the accident happened.

INVESTIGATION

According to Fox 4 News, residents who saw the tragedy happen said they heard the father wailing after the child was hit by the car.

The TV station reported that local Olathe police were investigating the matter but did not expect to prefer any criminal charges from the incident and were treating it as an accident.

Mr Mingaine said three family members, among them Pastor Mutuma, were set to travel on Friday while four others are waiting for visa and intend to travel on Monday.

The child will be buried in the US but the burial date has not yet been set.

He added that the incident has triggered revival of a campaign to sensitise motorists on the need to check their vehicles to prevent such tragedies from happening.

“If the child were not his, it would have been a terrible case. I have started educating members of the public on the need to ensure they know where their children are while driving away,” Mr Mingaine said.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to correct two factual errors: The accident happened in Olathe, not Kansas City, and Loise does not have twins as earlier reported.