Charges likely in death of La Union boy

Charges are likely to be laid against the driver who reportedly caused the death of 12-year-old Isaiah Khan at La Union, West Coast Demerara around 12:15 am on Wednesday.

The boy’s parents, who were afraid that they would not get justice because two police officers were in the car, were relieved that investigators took measurements at the scene yesterday.

The driver who is reportedly still in custody also revisited the scene with the officers.

Khan, a Grade Seven student of Windsor Forest Secondary landed on the bonnet of the car PMM 4884 and crashed into the windscreen before being flung into a clump of grass.

Isaiah Khan
Isaiah Khan

His mother, Natasha Bacchus had told Stabroek News that he left home around 11:30 pm on Tuesday to accompany his sisters, Melissa, 16, and Crystal, 15, who was not feeling well, to the West Demerara Regional Hospital.

They had just exited the taxi when the car that was coming from the opposite direction hit her son. The car also knocked down and killed a dog.

The car ended up some distance away as the driver reportedly tried to escape through the old road and crashed into a boulder instead.

Melissa, she said, pulled Crystal into the grass with her to avoid being hit as well and they both started screaming.

Natasha said she and her husband, James heard when the taxi stopped and they got up and opened the door. Just then they heard the loud “blam!

Suddenly the place became quiet and a few seconds later the girls erupted in loud screaming.

Fearing the worst, the couple ran out on the road to investigate and saw their daughters coming out from the grass.

They asked for Isaiah but the girls did not know where he was. James then began a frantic search for his son. A few minutes later he retrieved the lifeless body from the grass.

An occupant of the car returned to the scene and identified himself as a police officer and asked what happened.

The taxi driver responded: “Wah happen? Y’all knock down the people children…” Another policeman and a female were also in the car with the driver.

One of the officers then went to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station and returned with the traffic ranks.

A hearse also arrived at the same time and picked up the body and took it to the hospital’s mortuary.

This newspaper was also shown photos of beer bottles scattered in the car. Police in a release said that “the driver of the motor vehicle was tested and found to be above the legal limit in terms of the consumption of alcohol.”