Linden man killed after riding motorcycle into parked truck

A pending father and son reunion was thwarted when Eze Austin, believed to be in his late 50s, met his tragic death on the Sir David Rose Avenue, Mackenzie, Linden last night.

The accident occurred some minutes to eight last night in the vicinity of the Subbar Vulcanizing Shop. Austin was believed to have driven his motorcycle, CF3114, into a parked Bedford truck, GMM 4714. According to eyewitnesses the truck was parked in the vicinity for more than an hour prior to the accident.

Austin was preparing to reunite with his son who he had not seen for many years.

Several taxi drivers who had seen the truck at the location said they recalled seeing its hazard lights on.

They opined that Austin might have been blinded by a vehicle which was coming from the opposite direction when he collided into the truck’s rear.

One driver said he was the first to arrive on the scene and had queried from the driver of the truck what had occurred. “I didn’t even see the motorcycle at the time all I saw was the man lying on the ground and I asked the truck man what happened and he tell me de man ride he motorbike into the truck back.” He said that upon investigation he noticed the motorcycle under the truck.

Austin sustained a gaping wound to his forehead, but his motorcycle was not damaged in the process.

By the time Stabroek News arrived on the scene, the motorcycle and the truck had already been towed away to the Mackenzie Police Station, but Austin’s body was still lying on the corner of the street where a huge crowd had gathered to get a glimpse of the man.

At the scene, a family friend of Austin, Donna Arthur, said he had lived alone in Amelia’s Ward after re-migrating from the USA some years ago. “I was at home when I got the news and decided to run down here to see what really had happened,” she said. “This man is a very good family friend of ours and he would visit our home regularly.”

Arthur added that most of the man’s relatives reside overseas and he seldom shared information about his family. “We know about his mother and some brothers and sisters in the USA with who we do have contact. He used to tell us about a son who he hadn’t really seen in many years.”  She said that two days ago her husband managed to connect with the man’s son who was prepared to have a reunion with his father if he had called him. “His son said  he was due for a vacation and if his father called him he would cancel going to another country and come to reunite with his father seeing that he now know who he father is.”

Another family friend Veronica Thom said that the man visited her home last Saturday night and was with another friend both of whom left her place after midnight. “I didn’t see he back since and a bus driver tell me just now that he just bring Eze back from Georgetown so I guess he stop home and pick up he bike, went down the road to get something  to eat and I sure he was coming at us when he meet this accident.”

No identification was found on his person to confirm his age.

The driver of the truck and the porter were both in police custody at the Mackenzie Police Station assisting with investigations up to press time.