Ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) who responded to the fatal accident which occurred last evening at Hope West Enmore, East Coast Demerara (ECD) are being criticised for their poor handling for the situation.
Rajin Persad, a 37-year-old goldsmith of Foulis Housing Scheme, ECD was killed when a motor lorry driven by an alleged drunken driver ran over him.
Family members are contending that the police officers took more than an hour to arrive on the scene and they believe if there was quicker response, Persad could have been alive.
Police, in a statement, said motor lorry GWW 8721 was stationary as the driver was offloading sand.
“As the driver of the motor lorry lowered the tray and started to reverse, his wife shouted out to him that he ran over one of their dogs. Upon checking he observed an identifiable male under the truck with what appears to be blood about his body,” the Police said.
Police noted too that a breathalyzer test conducted on the driver which revealed .000BAC.
But family members are rejecting the police’s account of the incident.
The now dead man’s sister, Seeranie Parsad told INews that eyewitnesses confirmed that the truck driver was drunk. She also contended that the driver was not offloading sand as is being claimed by the police. In fact, the sister pointed to the scene of the fatal accident and showed that there is no pile of sand there.
According to the woman, her brother was riding his bicycle to come visit her when the accident occurred. She said eyewitnesses told her that the truck was driving when he hit the cyclist from behind. Upon hitting the cyclist, the truck driver allegedly reversed, causing the man to become pinned under the wheel of the vehicle.
Recalling the moment she got the news, Seeranie said she rushed to the scene where she pleaded with persons to help get her brother to the hospital. The woman noted too that she pleaded with the driver to move the vehicle, so they can take him to the hospital.
“But he refused,” the sister related. The woman said her brother was still alive as he was seen moving parts of his body.
When police finally arrived on the scene, the woman said they also refused to let the driver move the truck. She added that instead of calling an ambulance to take her brother to the hospital, they called a hearse.
The now dead man’s father, Walter Persad said when his son was finally taken to the hospital, he was pronounced dead on arrival. Walter said doctors told him that there was a chance his son could have survived if he was brought to the hospital sooner.
According to the father, the doctors explained that if the truck was moved from his son’s body in a prompt manner, he could have been saved from a number of injuries.
“The [doctor] man said he could’ve made it but he would’ve been [partly] paralyzed…It better he was paralyzed and me been got him home,” the father contended.
Both he and his daughter are calling for justice to be served.
“I need justice, me need justice for my brother, they murdered my brother. The guy was drunk! He was a drunken driver!” the sister expressed.
Investigations are ongoing.
