It has been close to two weeks since the truck driver involved in the Agricola accident, which claimed the life of a seven-year-old girl, was beaten severely by residents from the area.
While the Guyana Police Force (GPF) had dubbed vigilante justice as unacceptable and sought to go after these persons, they are yet to make any arrests.
A Division (Georgetown-East Bank Demerara) Commander, Marlon Chapman recently told INews that the matter is still being investigated.
On June 3, the Commander was quoted as saying that once footage of the incident is looked at and the persons are identified, they will be prosecuted.
“Once they are identified we will have them arrested. Everyone who is identified for assaulting the man, we will have them arrested. Despite the circumstances, they cannot beat someone, that is against the law”, he has claimed.
The child, Ciara Benjamin, was attempting to cross the road with her aunt, Simone Barry, when she was struck by a truck, bearing registration plate GWW 962, driven by Danion Welcome. The truck remained fixed on the median with the child pinned underneath. A light pole was unearthed as a result of the impact and subsequently collapsed, ending up on the roadway.
INews understands that the driver of the truck, Danion Welcome, was severely beaten by residents from the area and later handed over to the police.
After the scene was cleared, another unexpected tragedy arose when the lorry was set alight at about 18:10h, creating a towering inferno in the middle of the roadway.
Welcome’s attorney, James Bond, has defended his client by saying that he was neither reckless nor negligent during the tragic accident.
Commissioner Leslie James had told the media that they are reviewing the surveillance footage to determine who was at fault for the death of the seven-year-old child.
He also encouraged civilians with information on the accident to come forward while denouncing the vigilante beating of the driver. He reiterated that those who were involved in the beating, once apprehended, will face the full brunt of the law.
