Almost two weeks after 53-year-old Franklyn Austin was fatally hit by a driver while on his way to visit relatives, his family is still awaiting a promised settlement from the unseen perpetrator.
Around 7:30pm on March 21, Austin, of Lot 25 ‘E’ North Sophia, was struck down on the West Ruimveldt Backroad as he made his way to his sister’s North East La Penitence home. According to reports, the former Tactical Services Unit (TSU) rank, who had been riding a motorcycle at the time, had swerved to avoid a pile of sand on the roadside when he was hit by a Tundra pickup truck.
Early Saturday morning, he was pronounced dead at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) where he had been undergoing treatment. A subsequent post-mortem revealed that he had suffered a number of injuries, including broken ribs, legs and neck.
Through a mediator, Austin’s family had been promised $750,000 to have the matter settled out of court. The agreed settlement included funeral costs, with the remaining funds going to the man’s family. In an attempt to have the matter settled legally, Austin’s family had sought advice from several lawyers.
However, the driver got wind of the family’s attempts at legal advice and, irked, backed out of the predetermined settlement. On Monday, the day of Austin’s funeral, complications arose when the body was denied release from the funeral home due to outstanding fees. The fee was eventually paid by the Guyana Police Force.
When contact was made with the yet to be seen driver, Austin’s relatives were told in no uncertain terms to handle the matter on their own. Even after Austin’s burial, the family remained unaware of the driver’s identity. When Stabroek News visited the home Austin shared with his wife and young son, his sister-in-law June Bacchus expressed anger at the treatment of her family. She explained that she received information that the driver had been released almost instantly from police custody and had even gotten his damaged vehicle returned to him. She added that the police had not yet marked the site of the accident.
“You just want know if is a country that you can go by with killing people and just walk the streets how yuh feel like,” a dissatisfied Bacchus exclaimed.
Family members of the dead man believe that the driver backed out because he had thought that they had been proceeding with the matter.
Austin’s mother-in-law disclosed that the family would continue the matter in court if the agreement is breached. “I feel this is total disrespect,” the woman said. “I can’t allow people to advantage my daughter like this.”
Franklyn’s death by accident is not the first to mar the family’s history. In 2012, his brother, Stephen Grant, was hit and killed while riding his motorcycle along the Stanleytown Public Road, West Bank Demerara. To this day, the person responsible for his death has yet to be charged.
