Contractor chopped in front of police after fleeing scene of accident

-relatives

A building contractor was on Wednesday night brutally chopped after he fled from a hit-and-run accident.

Carlos Kumar, 22, of Brother Dam, Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara, is currently a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital. He was chopped across his chest, head, face and several other parts of his body.

According to a relative, who identified himself as M Singh, Kumar had shortly before dropped home some of his workers and was heading west on the Cornelia Ida Public Road with two others in the car when he apparently struck down a cyclist.

Singh said that based on the information he received, one of the workers in the car told Kumar that the individual he had struck down appeared dead.

The person had bounced off the bonnet. In fear, Kumar continued driving with the bicycle stuck underneath the car, dragging as the car moved. A few men not far away, saw what had happened and began to chase down the car wielding cutlasses.

According to Kumar’s relatives, the man who was struck down is alive and well. However, all efforts by Stabroek News to contact this individual proved futile.

Singh said that as Kumar was fleeing the scene, a police patrol was approaching from the opposite direction.

“He nah reach far and same time a police van coming on the other lane see he and pull he over and he two wukman run away. Carlos jump in de trench and hide,” Singh said.

According to Kumar’s father, Jairam Kumar, after his son hid in the trench, the police got out of their vehicle and told one of the trailing men that he would pay him $5,000 if he caught Carlos. The man then jumped into the trench and began chopping with his cutlass.

“…And as he ah chop, he chop Carlos across he face. So Carlos come up and seh, well ayo done chop meh, what mo ayo want?” Jairam said.

The distraught father said the man continued to chop his son although he had surrendered.

“Ow, de man chop he in front ah de police and then after de police see how brutal he getting chop, he tell de man fuh stop,” the teary-eyed father said.

The policeman then instructed the assailant to put his son in a car, Jairam said, and Carlos was taken to the Leonora Cottage Hospital.

The assailant was then taken to the Leonora Police Station.

Carlos was transferred to the West Demerara Regional Hospital and at around 1.30 am, he was rushed to the Georgetown Hospital, where he underwent an emergency operation.

According to ‘D’ Division Commander Ian Amsterdam, the police have one person in custody as investigations are ongoing.