AN underage driver in Lusaka is facing murder charges after bashing a security guard to death as he attempted to escape the minor accident he had earlier caused.
The 15-year-old driver, who did not have a license, is facing the charges alongside the adult who permitted him to drive the vehicle.
A seemingly tragic New Year’s Eve accident at Manda Hill turned into a murder investigation after police discovered the driver of the offending vehicle intentionally rammed and killed a a security guard.
On December 31, a security guard Enoch Chanda was patrolling Car Park number four when he witnessed a minor collision involving a Toyota Alphard and a stationary Toyota Allion.
As the Alphard driver attempted to flee the scene, Chanda, along with another security guard, attempted to block his exit by closing the gate.
Instead of stopping, the driver of the Alphard deliberately rammed into Chanda as he closed the gate, causing fatal injuries.
The driver and other occupants abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot in different directions while Chanda was rushed to the University Teaching Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
A subsequent investigation by Zambian police swiftly identified and apprehended the driver, a 15-year-old male.
Zambia Police service spokesperson Rae Hamoonga said the minor is currently detained in a juvenile cell pending further proceedings under the Children’s Code Act No. 12 of 2022.
Hamoonga said the vehicle involved in the incident has also been impounded.
Meanwhile police arrested 21-year-old Ganji Mhango for permitting an unlicensed driver to operate the vehicle.
Both Mhango and the 15-year-old driver will appear in court soon to face charges.
By Moses Makwaya
Kalemba January 9, 2023
