Buea: 24-year-old roller skater crushed to death
A 24-year-old man has tragically died in an accident in Buea today, December 24, 2024. Boris, as he was called, was roller skating at around 4:00 pm while holding onto a truck as he headed towards Independence Square with a carnival when he fell and was crushed by a taxi.
“He held onto a truck, and we couldn’t understand how he fell beneath it. He was at the side, between the back and the front tyres. He fell, and before he could get up, the tyre went over his head… he lay motionless. That was all,” recounted a carnival member to CNA.
The University of Buea student, who had to graduate next January, was part of a group of roller skaters performing at the front. Following them were other carnival participants dressed in traditional attire and masks. They were reportedly heading to Bongo Square for the closing ceremony of the South West Cultural Festival when the tragic incident occurred. An ambulance was called, but when it arrived, paramedics declared him dead. The youth decided to take his body to the event venue, protesting against the police’s attempts to remove the corpse. They carried it towards Independence Square, but police, ensuring security there, pushed them back, barring their entry to the ongoing cultural event.
“They(youth) said the higher authorities cannot just sit there celebrating while someone has died, as if nothing has happened,” a carnival member stated.
Boris’s family has identified him, and his remains have been laid at the Buea Regional Mortuary pending burial. His passing has cast a pall over his team members, who were celebrating, leaving his friends and family in shock.