Lutzville boy suffers broken legs after being run over by farmer

CAPE TOWN - A six-year-old boy from the West Coast town of Lutzville has suffered fractures to both his legs after allegedly being run over by a 70-year-old man.

It's alleged the child and his mother were walking along Station Road in Lutzville at around noon on Friday when the driver of a vehicle, which had a trailer attached, drove straight towards them, hit the child and drove over him.

Police are investigating cases of attempted murder and reckless and negligent driving.

The elderly man was arrested.

The Rural and Farmworkers Development Organization's Billy Claasen claimed that the child had been run over by a farmer after he allegedly took fruit from his orchard.

Claasen said that while he did not condone the apparent theft, the act of hitting and driving over the child with a vehicle was unacceptable and could not be tolerated.
 
"It is confirmed that both his legs are broken. Children must be protected and not hurt. We welcome the arrest of the suspect after we put pressure on the police to act in this case."

In Klawer in February 2022, 13-year-old Jerobejin van Wyk was killed after allegedly stealing mangoes from a tree in a resident's garden.

The teenager was also hit by a bakkie before he was killed.

The man accused of his murder, Daniel Smit, is set to go on trial later this year.

Meanwhile, the elderly farmer appeared in court on Monday and the case has been postponed to next week.