An investigation into the accident which occurred in May and left a teen as a patient of the hospital for over two months before he succumbed, is still ongoing.
Eighteen-year-old Bariel Hall who had remained a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital after being the victim of the alleged hit and run accident, succumbed to his injuries on Monday. He had been hospitalised following the hit and run, which occurred along Avenue of the Republic, in the vicinity of the Route 44 bus park. He never regained consciousness. Hall was making his way home at the time from a ‘J’ouvert’ during the carnival season.
According to his parents, an autopsy which was conducted yesterday, revealed that he died as a result of multiple complications related to injuries stemming from the accident.
When Stabroek News contacted the police, it was disclosed that the investigation into the accident is still ongoing and on completion, a file will be prepared and sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice. When questioned about reports of the vehicle being involved in the accident being released from the police’s custody, Deputy Superintendent, Joseph Jack, explained that in cases like these, when the vehicle has been examined by the certifying officer and photographed, it can be handed back to owner, adding that the police are not required to keep the vehicle after that process was completed.
The teen’s parents are now pleading for justice to be served. Barrington Hall, the 18-year-old’s father told Stabroek News that it hurts to lose his child. He added that they are hopeful that one of the buildings within the vicinity would have video footage of the incident and that the police would have acquired that footage if any was found. The elder Hall remains hopeful that persons who would have witnessed the incident would have given statements to the police in hopes that a case can be brought against the driver of the vehicle who did not render assistance to the teen subsequent to the accident.
Barrington Hall stated that he is not satisfied with what he was told of the investigation so far, stating that he was told that after the accident, the car was hidden and the registration plates removed. He questioned the police releasing the vehicle to the owner given the circumstances in which the vehicle was found.
According to previous reports, when the accident occurred, the driver of the vehicle did not stop to render any assistance to the teen. The driver was later taken into police custody and released on station bail. Bariel had suffered injuries to his head and about his body, including a broken left leg.
