A 15-year-old primary school student died in a car accident near Nadzab Airport, outside Lae, on Christmas Eve.
According to police reports, the Grade Six student of St Paul's Lutheran Primary School was in a Suzuki station wagon, driving towards the airport after doing their marketing at Nadzab market.
While on their way there, they met a Toyota Land Cruiser that was travelling into town, allegedly at high speed.
Police report that this PNG Power vehicle just overtook a PMV bus before the market and in the process, miscalculated and went too far, occupying the opposite lane. The oncoming vehicle couldn't pull back into its own lane in time, resulting in its severe collision with the station wagon.
The student, from Manus, died instantly from the impact while the station wagon driver and another passenger received injuries and were rushed to Angau Hospital.
The PNG Power driver was arrested and charged with the death of the student.
Unfortunately, the Suzuki station wagon was set alight the same night, making it difficult for police to conduct further investigations.
Morobe police chief Augustine Wampe said such careless driving cause the lives of innocent people.
"The reckless speeding without purpose has caused the life of the innocent student,” said Wampe.
“I wonder, what was the emergency with PNG Power in town and the driver was in a rush?"