Boy killed as car hits school fence

A 12-YEAR-old boy died instantly while another was admitted to the hospital after the car they were in lost control and ran off the road in a freakish accident in Kokopo town, East New Britain province, on Sunday.
The dead boy has been identified as Goddrad Baule, of Kaliai, West New Britain province.
He was a Grade Five student attending one of the schools in East New Britain.
New Guinea Islands divisional commander, Assistant Plice Commissioner Francis Tokura said yesterday that the accident occurred at around 6.30pm.
Mr Tokura said the driver of the vehicle, owned by Palanga Surveyors, was travelling at high speed along the four-lane road in Kokopo when he lost control and drove into the iron fencing of the OLSH Secondary School.
The two boys were sitting in the back of the vehicle’s cabin and when the vehicle hit the iron fencing, its impact threw Baule out of the vehicle and onto the fence, killing him instantly.
He said the other boy was hospitalised with injuries.
Mr Tokura said the driver was taken in by police yesterday to be interviewed.
He said investigations were continuing.
In the meantime, Mr Tokura warned that with the festive Christmas-New Year period approaching, police would be on the lookout for drivers drinking and driving and putting their lives at risk as well as those of innocent bystanders and other motorists.
He said people should be mindful of other road users and, importantly, roadside properties.
He said East New Britain police would be watching out for drunk drivers and would deal with them severely during the festive period.
In West New Britain, a police shootout on Sunday resulted in the death of one man while another was hospitalised.
Mr Tokura said after a tip off, police went to Section 10 area in Kimbe to locate a wanted criminal, Manu Clement who had been on the run for sometimes for a string of armed robberies.
Police found him and two others, Kelly Matuka and Robert Momondi, who opened fire at police with homemade guns.
Police returned fire and shot Matuka who died instantly while Momondi was shot at the ankle and was hospitalised.
The other wanted criminal managed to escape from police.