An early morning hit-and-run accident yesterday left a 12-year-old boy fighting for his life in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH), where his father is nursing minor injuries.

Vivekanand Rudradeo

According to reports reaching Stabroek News, Suresh Rudradeo and his son Vivekanand Rudradeo left their Lot 1 Ogle Airstrip home to go biking along the Rupert Craig Highway when they were hit by a speeding car at around 5:20 am. The driver failed to stop after the accident.

When Stabroek News visited the GPH yesterday, scores of angry relatives who had gathered to see the boy were heard discussing what they termed “the heartless nature” of the driver responsible for the accident. “Ow, he coulda at least stop and pick he up and carry he to de hospital, he nah had to drive away,” a    relative said.

The older Rudradeo told this newspaper that he would normally take his son cycling on Saturday mornings to train him.

The young Rudradeo is a member of  Hassan Mohamed’s Cycling Association.

He said that they were both on separate bicycles heading in an Eastern direction along the East Coast Public road in the vicinity of Better Hope when the accident occurred. The father explained that the car hit the son, causing him to suffer the brunt of the impact. After hitting the lad, the elder Rudradeo said that the vehicle then brushed him before driving away. An angry Suresh said that after the accident, it took him quite some time before he was able to get a passing vehicle to stop and take his son to the hospital. “I am really disappointed with the manner in which the driver dealt with this situation. My son was losing lots a blood while we were there trying to get something to take us to the hospital. The least he could have done was stop and render some assistance. In accidents every second counts,” Rudradeo said.

The father said that a number of vehicles had passed them but did not stop; it was not until he held the child up and stood in the middle of the road that a passing minibus stopped and took them to the hospital.

Vivekanand who celebrated his twelfth birthday last Sunday sustained severe head injuries.

Rudradeo said that he is optimistic that the police will find the perpetrator since the number plate of the car broke off and was left at the scene of the accident after the driver sped away. The number plate has since been handed over to the police.

Up to press time the police had not issued a statement on the incident.