A heart-breaking accident, which claimed the life of a five-year-old boy on Thursday, 30 October 2025, has left his family, his school and the neighbourhood in shock and mourning.
Little Tashreeqo Fredericks, who attended Berzelia Primary School, was due to turn six next month. He had reportedly been crossing the road between his parents’ and his grandparents’ houses when the tragedy occurred around 19:25 at the corner of Acacia and Adenium Streets, Protea Park, Atlantis. According to police, it is alleged that the young boy attempted to hang onto a passing MyCiTi bus. In the process, he ran into a lamppost and was pulled under the rear wheels of the bus. He sadly died on the scene from injuries he sustained.
Captain Lisa Munro, spokesperson for the Atlantis Police, confirmed that a case of culpable homicide is under investigation. The City’s Rob Quintas, Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, said the 31-year-old driver has been suspended pending the outcome of an internal investigation. The bus had been travelling from Johan Heyns Street North to Atlantis Station and had just stopped at the Acacia bus stop to drop off a passenger. “As the bus was moving off at approximately 5 km/h, witnesses shouted for him to stop. It was then discovered that the child had fallen under the bus. According to the on-board footage, the boy had been running alongside the road, chasing the bus. He collided with a street pole and subsequently fell onto the road and under the bus,” explained Quintas.
However, Tashreeqo’s grandfather disputed this version, saying these buses have no place for anyone to hang onto. “As I looked around, I just heard a terrible noise as the bus hit someone. I didn’t realise it was him, as he was on the other side of the road just seconds before that,” said the boy’s grandfather, who preferred not to be named. “Tashreeqo must have slipped and landed under the bus. What makes this even more painful is that another family member also died in a MyCiTi-related accident years ago,” he said.
The City said the driver, has nine months of experience as a MyCiTi bus driver. “This is a deeply tragic incident, and our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the child during this unimaginably difficult time. Conversations about road safety must be ongoing — at home, at school, in places of worship, and in workplaces,” Quintas added.
The police’s Detective Sergeant Langeveldt has been assigned to the case and is appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the tragedy to come forward. Witnesses can contact him at 021 571 8500 or report information anonymously via Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
