A young woman identified as Melanie Amougou, 22, saved a baby from a brewery truck that lost control in Yaounde on September 26, but got crushed to death.
Eyewitnesses say the student of the Faculty of Economic Science at the University of Yaoundé II saved a baby she was carrying but could not escape the madding truck.
The accident occurred at Montée Ekounou neighbourhood in Yaounde.
Some eyewitnesses explained that the truck was climbing the hill when it had mechanical issues, causing it to stop.
Its tyres then started sliding backward down the slope. Mélanie, who was trying to cross the road, moved towards the gutter when she saw the truck, but, unfortunately, it slid in her direction and hit her.
According to witnesses, she was carrying a baby in her arms—her cousin’s two-year-old child.
She immediately threw the baby to safety when she saw the danger but was unable to save herself.
“We recovered the child and gave first aid, but we will take the baby to the hospital for a thorough check-up,” explained the baby’s mother.
The truck was transporting drinks products, and this attracted many passersby, who took advantage of the accident to grab free drinks, disregarding the tragic incident that had just occurred.
“The truck had a lot of drinks in it. Many people drank, and some made off with crates of beer, empty bottles, and containers. It was like a feast,” said an eyewitness.
Meanwhile, Melanie’s family is left heartbroken and devastated by he tragic demise. Her body has been taken to the Ekounou hospital mortuary in Yaounde.
Mélanie Amougou, who had just turned 22, was said to have been the only child of her mother.
