Manchester police have not formally charged the garbage truck driver involved in the death of nine-year-old Amoya Moore. The fourth-grade student of Villa Road Primary School was killed on December 9 after being mowed down in Mandeville by a garbage truck.
Police reports say that on her way to school, Amoya was struck by the truck while exiting Bonitto Heights onto Bonitto Crescent. The truck was also leaving the area at the same time. The truck struck Amoya, hauling her under it until she died at the scene.
The driver has avoided criminal charges due to a lack of evidence to indicate he was at fault. Investigators say residents who gathered at the scene initially shared details with the police at the time of the incident. There was at least one person who claimed to have witnessed the crash. However, the alleged eyewitness who initially said they would give a formal statement did not do so, causing the case to not move forward.
The outcome of the case has been deeply disappointing for Amoya’s mother, Samantha Biggs. She has openly questioned how the investigation was handled and says she feels let down by the system. Speaking with TVJ News, Biggs said she was promised a home visit by Rhoda Crawford, Member of Parliament for Manchester Central, but has yet to receive any follow-up.
“As a mother, I am highly dissatisfied and disappointed in the system,” she said, adding that she refuses to remain silent while her daughter’s death goes unresolved.
Biggs described Amoya as more than just her child, saying she belonged to the wider Bonitto Heights community. She explained that the loss has affected not only her family but also neighbours and residents who are also grieving. “She was a child of the community members of Bonitto Heights, and as a community we are all suffering in grief for the loss of my child,” she said. “I need answers.”