Tragic Loss: 3-Year-Old Omar Killed by Garbage Truck at Paris Crosswalk, Mother Seeks Justice

The accident occurred on Sunday around 6 pm, as Omar was returning from his maternal grandmother’s house where he had spent the afternoon. "I had a bad headache, so I asked my 22-year-old sister to accompany him back to my place in the 9th arrondissement," recounts the boy’s 24-year-old mother, who is a nurse. A few moments later, "my sister called me in a panic," says the young woman. Upon arriving at the scene, the emergency services were trying to free Omar’s foot, which was trapped under the truck. This operation lasted an hour and a half. During this time, "they did not let me approach so that I would not be shocked," she confides.

Transported to the Robert-Debré hospital (19th arrondissement), the 3-year-old boy died a few moments later. His mother is inconsolable: "I thought he might lose a leg, but that he would live." "My son bore the name of my father, who passed away in 2020. My mother took care of him a lot. I was a student, not always present..." says Fenda, who is "clinging to her faith" in this difficult ordeal. Her sister is still having trouble realizing what happened. "She is in total denial. She doesn’t believe it."

Omar was a friendly and lively child. "He was an active, joyful boy, surrounded by his loved ones. He liked to visit his grandmother, made us laugh and laughed with us..." testifies his mother. "He was very small, very smiley. He loved to pet the little dogs in the courtyard," remembers Rachid, the building’s caretaker where Fenda lives. The shopkeepers and neighbors on the street where the tragedy occurred are still in shock. "The intersection is poorly laid out. The pedestrian crossing is poorly designed. Before, the garbage trucks did not pass through this narrow little street," says Christophe, who runs a tobacco shop, believing that the accident could have been avoided.

Omar, on his scooter, "was crossing the street at a pedestrian crossing accompanied by his aunt when he was hit by a garbage truck," informs the Paris prosecutor’s office, which has opened an investigation "for involuntary manslaughter by a driver," entrusted to the Judicial Processing Service for Accidents of the Paris Police Prefecture (STJA). The driver, taken into custody, underwent an alcohol test and a drug test, the results of which were negative. The investigation is ongoing. For her part, Fenda is considering filing a complaint against the driver.

For its part, the Paris municipality intends to "provide all its support to the authorities in charge of the investigation." "The community is awaiting the conclusions of this investigation before determining whether any suspension should be initiated. In any case, he (the driver) will not be reassigned to driving duties until it is completed. The agent in question will be provided with psychological support if he so wishes," adds the City of Paris. The victim’s family will receive psychological support.