A father whose five-year-old son was killed by a lorry as he walked home from school spoke today of his family’s anguish and called for new safety measures at the site of the tragedy.
Hichame Bouadimi was holding his mother’s hand when he broke free and dashed onto a busy one-way street last week near a pedestrian crossing in Southwark.
Transport for London admitted that protective railings had been removed from where Hichame died.
The three-lane street, St George’s Road, is an exit route from Elephant & Castle roundabout and close to three schools. Hichame’s father, Hamid, urged transport bosses to install traffic-calming measures to protect children.
Mr Bouadimi’s wife Dalila, 35, was bringing Hichame and his sister Lamia, six, back to their home a few hundreds yards from Charlotte Sharman Primary School. Mr Bouadimi, 49, a catering worker, said: “My wife said they were crossing the road and he just jumped from her hand and found himself in the middle of the road.
“It was lucky my daughter didn’t follow him. We are very, very sad. My wife is sick because she has lost her son and saw everything that happened... that picture is in her memory.”
Hichame suffered severe head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, 46, of the flat-bed lorry was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and bailed by police until January.
Algerian-born Mr Bouadimi said: “We really appreciate all the support we’ve had from everyone, Hichame’s school, other parents, our neighbours, our friends and community. The police and ambulance crews were very supportive, they were crying with us.”
Hichame was born with a cleft lip and was having treatment at Guy’s Hospital. Mr Bouadimi had to break the news of the tragedy to his other sons, Sophine, 15, and Mahdi, 12.
There were 1,134 road casualties in Southwark last year, the third highest figure for inner London. Parents want lollipop patrols and the return of railings that were removed in March.
Residents said some drivers speed up on the 30mph stretch because there are no traffic-calming measures.
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Mr Bouadimi said: “They need to have speeds humps or cameras, at least a sign saying it’s a school or a lollipop patrol. I don’t want other families to go through this.”
TfL streets and traffic chief operating officer Garrett Emmerson said: “Some sections of pedestrian guard rail along St George’s Road were removed in March as part of a programme to improve streets, and in all cases following a full assessment of road safety.”
