Dog caused death of child

SAMOA – A freak series of events led to a five-year-old girl dying after being struck by a pick-up truck last week in the village of Sagone on the Samoan island of Savai‘i.

The tragedy occurred when the five-year-old and her mother were walking to a shop, the Samoa Observer reports.

“The mother sent the child to the shop on the other side of the road while she waited,” police spokesperson, Su’a Muliaga Tiumalu told the media during a press conference.

The mother told the police that when her daughter went over to the shop a dog came up to her and tried to attack her.

The daughter then ran onto the main road to try to escape from the dog and was hit by a passing vehicle.

The girl died instantly at the scene.

The driver of the pick-up truck was a 44-year-old man.

He is scheduled to appear in court on the 24th of this month on charges of negligent driving causing death.

Su’a said charges would not be brought against the mother for carelessness but may be brought against the owner of the dog.

“The mother did not intend for her daughter to be struck by a vehicle when she went to the shop,” said Su’a.

“The daughter was sent there to get something but the problem was, the dog attacked her, she was scared and then ran onto the road.

“There is a possibility that the owner of the dog will be charged as it states in the Canine Control Act 2013.

“If it does confirm, then there is a possibility that the owner of the dog may be charged because that is one of the contributions to the five year old’s death. If the dog didn’t try to attack her, she wouldn’t have run on the road.

“But there are also obligations of the driver of the vehicle which was also speeding and not following the Motor Vehicle’s Act 1993.

“They have to go at a speed that they can be able to stop the vehicle for any unexpected accidents on the road.” - SO