Kikinda declares day of mourning for seven-year-old Mihajlo, who died after a traffic accident

The city of Kikinda has declared 26 May a day of mourning for the death of a seven-year-old boy who died on 23 May after thirteen days fighting for his life at the Institute for Child and Youth Healthcare of Vojvodina in Novi Sad. The authorities have not publicly released the boy’s full name, in line with the rules on the protection of minors; the city administration in its official statement referred to him as Mihajlo.

The traffic accident took place at around 6.30pm on 10 May in Albertova Street in Kikinda, according to media reports citing unofficial sources within the local police. According to those sources, the boy was hit by a BMW passenger car driven by a younger woman from Kikinda. The driver’s identity has not been officially released.

According to unofficial sources, the driver was taken to the premises of the Kikinda Police Station immediately after the accident to give a statement. The on-site breathalyser was negative, the sources say. The Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Kikinda has opened a pre-criminal investigation under Article 297 of the Criminal Code, which is the standard qualification in such cases.

A day of mourning, in line with the Act on State and Other Holidays, entails the flying of flags at half-mast on all public institutions, a minute of silence at noon and adjustments to the work of educational, cultural and other institutions. The local authorities have called on the public not to organise public entertainment and commemorative events.

The boy was, according to reports, a first-year pupil at a Kikinda primary school. The school has said that, during the day of mourning, the children will have shortened lessons and a designated conversation with the educational psychologist about the loss of their classmate. The city administration’s statement said that condolences had been extended to the family and institutional support offered.

What is the record on traffic accidents involving injured children?

According to data from Serbia’s Road Safety Agency, around 1,500 children under the age of fourteen were injured on the roads of the Republic of Serbia in 2025, and twenty-six lost their lives. The statistics for the first four months of 2026 show a similar trend, with nine children killed and over 500 injured.

According to the agency, neighbourhood streets in smaller cities such as Kikinda stand out as particularly risky because of the absence of physical traffic-calming barriers in the zones around schools and nurseries. Under the Road Traffic Safety Act, local authorities are required to update zones with a 30 km/h speed limit every year.

Are there enough speed humps near schools in your street? Write to the editorial team about a location you consider risky.