The driver of the vehicle that struck Deonarine Singh, the carpenter who succumbed last Saturday following an accident on Sheriff Street, is in police custody, Traffic Chief Linden Isles has confirmed.
Contacted for an update yesterday, Isles told Sunday Stabroek that the driver was taken into custody last week.
He reportedly turned himself into the police after he learnt of Singh’s death.
The accident occurred around 10 pm on Friday, April 26th, at the junction of Sheriff and Garnett streets, Campbellville, Georgetown.
Singh, also known as ‘Black Boy’ and ‘Munesh,’ a father of three of Lot 45 Garnett Street, was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he succumbed the following morning.
An autopsy later revealed that he died as a result of a fractured skull.
A police investigation into the accident was only launched last Tuesday, days after the accident.
Enquiries, the police had said, found that Singh was standing on the western side of Sheriff Street, south of Garnett Street, when the accident occurred. Singh reportedly ran across the road and into the path of a car, while the traffic light at the junction was green for vehicles to proceed south along Sheriff Street.
He was subsequently picked up by the driver of the car, who was escorted by a Guyana Police Force pickup [driver and registration number unknown] to the GPHC. A police source had informed this newspaper that investigators were trying to ascertain which police vehicle was at the scene and why the ranks did not report the accident.
However, when asked if this information was subsequently determined, Isles yesterday related to Sunday Stabroek that an internal investigation is ongoing into that aspect of the matter.
Vicky Singh, the dead man’s son, had explained that Deonarine was last seen alive outside his home. After he disappeared, relatives assumed he went to visit a family member in Sophia.
However, after time passed and Deonarine did not return home, they began to search for him. Searches at other relatives, the GPHC and police stations, did not yield any results.
It was not until last Monday, when relatives decided to approach a nearby business and request to review their CCTV footage, that they learnt Deonarine was the victim of an accident.
Vicky noted that based on what he saw in the footage, Deonarine was struck down by a silver Toyota Premio while attempting to cross the road. “I saw the car but I didn’t see the number plate. I see they open the trunk also but I didn’t know if they go fah put he in the trunk or what transpire deh,” Vicky added.
He said a police vehicle was also seen pulling up behind the car which struck Deonarine, a short while after the accident. “Them ain’t put he in the trunk after the van pull up, they put him in the car. Yuh seeing the hazard [light] pun the car and the police van,” Vicky said.
He said the footage also showed that both vehicles remained at the scene for a while before they departed.
After they saw the footage, relatives returned to the GPHC on Monday and a receptionist there reportedly confirmed that there was an unidentified accident victim of Indian descent.
Arrangements were later made to have them identify Deonarine’s remains at the mortuary.
The family had previously voiced concerns about the manner in which the matter was dealt with, while calling for justice.
