Questions after teen dies

LEPHALALE – A young teenage boy, Enrico Smith (15), passed away in a motor cycle accident earlier this month. His devastated mother now says she needs to know what happened on the night of his accident, but cannot find the answers.
On 3 July, Enrico drove away from his house in Silver Charms to go and greet his friends. “I pleaded with him not to go because I had an uneasy feeling the whole day,” remembers his mother, Claretta Slater.
Enrico was driving in Palala Street when he crossed Walter Sisulu and collided with a silver Fiat Uno. A witness claims that he saw the driver of the Uno fleeing his vehicle before the police arrived. Police is investigating a case of culpable homicide and have traced the owner of the vehicle.
The night of the accident Claretta’s daughter, Jazzlyn, phoned Claretta from the scene and informed her that Enrico was hit by a speeding vehicle. “When I arrived at the accident scene I looked at Jazzlyn holding Enrico and thought that he was still alive,” Claretta says.
She explains that the paramedics at the scene told her that her son was dead, but ads that she could not accept it. She pleased with them to try and resuscitate him. “I just couldn’t accept that he was gone and there was nothing that they could do, but afterwards, when they explained the procedure to me, I could see that they really tried their best to save him.”
Claretta says that she has been in constant contact with the investigating officer of Enrico’s case, but says she is not satisfied with the investigation at all. “They did not do toxicology tests on the driver of the other vehicle,” she says.
Claretta, Enrico and Jazzlyn moved to Lephalale two years ago after the death of her husband, Parrish.
“It was just too difficult to stay in East London with all the memories of my
husband and we wanted to make a fresh, new start,” Claretta says, adding that it is now too painful to stay in the house which they called home for the past two years.
She says Enrico was an avid motor cycle driver with a passion for life. “His love for motorbikes dates to back when he was a little boy.” 
“I bought him his first proper two-wheeler when he turned eight,” Claretta remembers.
She wants to thank everybody in Lephalale, her pastor and her colleagues at Medupi, for their support during this difficult time. “I would like to especially the Lephalale Bikers’ Club who took me back to the accident scene and helped me plant a remembrance cross for Enrico.”
Even though Claretta still misses her son every time she hears a motorbike, she says that she does not consider biking to be a
dangerous pastime. “I know my son loved his bike and I am so happy that I could give him all these happy memories.”
“Parents should appreciate their children and spend as much quality time with them as possible, because you never know when their journey will be completed here on earth.”