They are at the top of many children’s Santa lists this Christmas, but parents have been once again warned against purchasing hoverboards following a tragic accident in London this week.
A 15-year-old boy was reportedly killed when he fell off his hoverboard and was struck with by a bus in the Alperton area of the city.
Nawaf Al-Tuwayan was said to have left the house on the hoverboard, to pick up milk for his mum, when the accident occurred. A bystander who witnessed the tragic scene said that the teen “did not look confident” on the gadget.
The bystander, Jeffery Mingle, told local media that the bus driver was unaware that he had struck Nawaf. Mr Mingle then chased the bus down the road, but by the time the devastating discovery was made, they were unable to save Nawaf.
The driver of the bus has not been arrested, and a colleague said that the accident would be “devastating for him as well as the family of the boy”.
Police and watchdogs in several countries have been warning parents off purchasing hoverboards and swegways for their children this Christmas, with many models found to have major faults. There have been reports of hoverboards blowing up, with a house in the UK recently burned to the ground as a result.
Our hearts go out to Nawaf's family following their devastating loss.
