The distraught father of Yonette Branche, Alfred Branche was found dead at Cotton Tree yesterday and it is suspected that he took his own life.
Alfred had been the driver of the car on Tuesday which crashed with Yonette in the back seat. Yonette passed away leaving Alfred in deep sorrow.
Yonette was in the backseat of her father’s car on the night of December 23rd when it collided with a parked Canter truck on the Public Road at Number 29 Village, West Coast Berbice as the family was on their way home from the city. Yonette sustained head injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Fort Wellington Public Hospital.
Alfred, 62, of McKenzie Street, Murphy Dam, Rosignol, WBB was discovered yesterday morning in a trench by residents of Cotton Tree. He was found in a trench at Lillo Dam.
Family members suspect that he may have ingested a poisonous substance and drowned. They are awaiting a post-mortem examination.
According to a foster daughter, Sabrina (only name give) since the accident he kept saying that he cannot “live with himself knowing that he was driving the car his daughter was in [when she died]”. The daughter recalled too, that he kept telling the family that they would have to bury him before his daughter.
Police in a release on the accident said, “The driver of motor car PLL 4691 was proceeding along the roadway allegedly at a fast rate, when he lost control of the vehicle and collided with a parked motor Canter.” However the inconsolable mother Elise Branche had told Stabroek News that a vehicle with a bright light approaching them had blinded her husband, who hit the Canter on being unable to see what was in front of him.
Alfred went missing on Christmas Eve day. The foster daughter said that he had returned to the Fort Wellington police station to assist officers with additional investigations. However, she stated that the last they heard from him, he was on the road buying some medication for her mother but time passed and there was no further contact with him. It was yesterday morning Sabrina said that a man called and informed them that a person was floating in the trench. When they arrived at around 11:00 hrs they were able to positively identify him.
The daughter had also explained to Stabroek News that they had made a missing person report at the Blairmont Police Station and to the media.
Yonette is to be laid to rest on Wednesday.
