By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
THE family of a nine-year-old boy who was killed in a tragic traffic accident on Tuesday are devastated and struggling to come to terms with his untimely death.
The victim was identified by his mother as Kevin Lowe, Jr, affectionately known as “KJ”.
According to a report from police, around 6pm a flatbed truck was towing a trailer west on Quakoo Street, while the victim was riding his bicycle west along the road when the two collided.
The boy was taken to hospital by a private vehicle where he later died. He suffered massive internal bleeding, according to close relatives.
The victim’s mother, who did not want her name printed, told The Tribune yesterday that her son was “smart”, as he was an honour-roll fifth grade student of Albury Sayle’s Primary School.
Kevin was killed only moments away from his residence on Laird Street, in the presence of his father, according to his mother.
Recalling what she remembers of the traffic accident, she said: “He was at our family’s house where the incident took place (Quakoo Street). He was riding his bike, but vehicles were coming, so he was on the side, you know, talking to the other kids because we have a very large family.
“So, it’s a lot of little cousins around his age, so it was him and four of his other boy cousins. And they were just on the side of the road. This trailer that was towing some kind of load on the back and he just hit my baby and he killed my son.”
As the only son, the mother of three said Kevin will be dearly missed, however she is hopeful that justice will be served.
“Everybody for the most part right now is still in disbelief, everybody’s still going to be in disbelief. You know? It’s, I mean, it’s no way to get adjusted. It’s no way to get used to it, but you just got to take it for what it is,” she said.
Meanwhile family members are threatening to take legal action, as they are questioning the circumstances surrounding the death of the nine-year-old.
The grandmother of the deceased, who also requested to be anonymous, said she is seeking answers for the death of her “only grandson”.
Pointing to the bike that sustained minimal damage, the grandmother said: “My grandson doesn’t even have a mark on him so how it could be a head-on collision? That’s all I want to know. I don’t know the company, but please step forward and work with us.”
Angered at the thought of her grandson suffering, she urged the company responsible to “come clean”, noting that his life was cut short as a result of the tragic accident.
With tears in her eyes, the grandmother displayed Kevin’s school work that reflected the results of an “honour-roll student”.
“He just brought me his test papers the other day with 100 percent, he wanted a PlayStation 4. I said you got to bring grandma some more A’s, you got to work. He then came yesterday and showed me his A’s. I said don’t bring me no more because I got to buy you the world,” she said.
A day before he was injured, police also reported a traffic accident that claimed the life of a 48-year-old male in Eleuthera.
According to police, this brings the country’s unconfirmed traffic fatality rate to 52, noting that the rate has surpassed the traffic fatality count of last year, which is 46.
Police are appealing to members of the public to drive with due care and attention as the holidays are approaching, noting that members of the public ought to know where their children are at all times and to educate them on the dangers of riding their bicycles competitively against road users.
