By Kenesha Fraser
Two young men are dead following a hit-and-run yesterday at Richmond, Essequibo Coast by a drunk driver who was subsequently arrested by police after he fled the scene.
Dead are Adrian Osborne, 23, and Colin John, 20, both of Henrietta, Essequibo Coast. Police said that the duo was walking along the roadway at Richmond when they were struck down by a vehicle. The incident occurred at around 3.45 am yesterday. The driver of the vehicle sped away from the scene and both men were rushed to the Suddie Hospital where they were pronounced dead on arrival.
“The driver of the motor vehicle was later arrested at his home and was found to be above the legal limit in terms of the consumption of alcohol,” the police said. The suspect remains in police custody assisting with the investigations.
According to information received by Stabroek News, the drunk driver, who is said to be a 29-year-old goldsmith of Hampton Court, Essequibo Coast was driving a Spacio car. This newspaper was told that the accident occurred at 3:45 am when Osbourne, who is a labourer of Lot 12 Henrietta and John of Lot 146 Henrietta who works at Caricom Rice Mills, were walking to their homes. They were heading south on the western side of the Richmond Public Road while the car bearing number plate PRR 902 was heading north on the eastern lane of the road.
Stabroek News was told that another vehicle was heading south on the same side of the road that the goldsmith was on and he reportedly swerved from the vehicle and as a result, collided with the men. John was flung to the western parapet and Osbourne was thrown into a nearby trench.
Upon hearing the impact, residents of the area rushed to the scene.
The goldsmith, who was returning to his home at Hampton Court after taking a family member to Golden Fleece, fled the scene and was later apprehended by the police at his home.
Osborne and John were pronounced dead after being rushed to the Suddie Public Hospital. The bodies were later taken to the Suddie mortuary where they are awaiting post-mortem examinations.
Yesterday, a large crowd of Henrietta residents gathered at the Anna Regina Police Station to lend moral support to the families of the dead men. They expressed anger that the driver fled the scene and had to be calmed by the police.
Both Osbourne and John were described as jovial young men by their family. The men left their homes on Saturday night to attend a birthday party in the nearby village and were walking home when they were struck down. Relatives are hoping that the police will conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
