…21-year-old suspect in custody
A 42-year-old cattle farmer was on Sunday morning killed after being hit by a speeding car along the East Coast Berbice Public Road.
The dead man has been identified as Michael Andre Totaram also called “Punk Man”, of Adelphi Village, East Canje.
The accident occurred about 01:30h on Sunday.
Reports are that the driver of the car, 21-year-old Emanuel Luther, of Lad Lane, New Amsterdam, rented the car from a car rental business at Fyrish Village, Corentyne, and was at the time operating it under the Cool Ride Taxi Service of Lad Lane.
He related that he was on his way to Rose Hall Town to pick up a passenger when he hit ‘something’. The man said he stopped the car he was driving and exited to check. Upon checking, he noticed the car’s number plate was broken, but did not see anything on the roadway.
The driver said he got back into the car and went to Rose Hall Town. When the passengers got to the vehicle, they saw that the car did not have its front registration plate.
On the way to New Amsterdam with the passengers, Luther said the vehicle developed mechanical problems, so he stopped.
He said he then made contact with the taxi service he worked with and requested a new car to transport the stranded passengers to their destination while he remained behind trying to fix the car. It was later discovered that the radiator was broken and the water had leaked out thus causing the car to overheat.
B Division (Berbice) Commander Ian Amsterdam confirmed that the Police were investigating a hit-and-run accident and a mobile patrol went to the scene.
He said when they arrived, Totaram’s body was lying along the roadway. He was rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Back at the scene, they noticed a car, PSS 6395, a short distance away and the driver with the bonnet opened. Luther was arrested and taken into custody at the Reliance Police Station.
Meanwhile, the dead man’s sister Juliet McPherson said two Police Officers visited her home on Sunday and informed her of her brother’s demise.
According to her, Totaram was an alcoholic and had been working as a cattle farmer with someone for just over three weeks. It is her belief that her brother may have been intoxicated and wandering along the roadway when he was struck. Police are investigating. (Andrew Carmichael)
