The Linstead police say the family of an 11-year-old girl who was killed in a traffic accident on the Linstead bypass last week is begging the police to protect a boy who is being blamed for her death.

Rose Ann Graham, 11, a student of the Rosemount All-Age and Junior High in St Catherine, was killed after she was hit by a car last Tuesday.

Investigators said that alleged witnesses reported that the girl was pushed into the path of an incoming vehicle by a boy with whom she had a scuffle. The boy reportedly attends the same school.

Although this report has not yet been confirmed, one source from the Linstead Traffic Department told THE STARthat this theory is being investigated.

angry residents

Meanwhile, the same source said the police have been informed that angry residents are threatening to kill the boy who they accuse of pushing Rose Ann into the roadway.

The police said they have also heard a claim that the boy was trying to fondle the girl, and she was pushed into the path of the vehicle when she tried to defend herself.

More statements are also being collected and the police said the incident is so far being treated as a case of 'misadventure'.

Efforts to contact Rose Ann's mother were unsuccessful, as a number provided for her went unanswered yesterday.

The police said that a file is being prepared to be sent to the director of public prosecutions to determine if charges are to be laid against the schoolboy.