The family of Michael Munroe, who tragically died on Thursday evening in a vehicular collision along the Friendship Public Road, East Bank Demerara, remained in shock yesterday at his sudden demise.
The 52-year-old father of five and guardian of two minors, of Lot 814 Section ‘A’, Diamond, had been driving a pick-up, of which he reportedly lost control, and drove into the path of a truck.
His son, Michael Munroe Jr., told Stabroek News that his family is “still in a state of shock” after hearing of the fatal accident. The young man said that he was at a city cafe with a friend on Thursday when his mother contacted him and told him that his father was in critical condition following an accident. He explained that because he had to drive from Georgetown to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, she did not want to tell him that his father had already succumbed.
On Friday the police confirmed that Munroe was travelling along the Friendship Public Road, EBD at about 18:10 hours when he collided with the truck. Munroe, was proceeding south along the eastern side of the road at a fast rate of speed when he lost control of the vehicle, the police said. The man ended up on the western side of the road where the left side of the pick-up collided with the front portion of the truck, GAB 1835, driven by Sachin Singh Mohanlall, 21, of Lot 14 Fernandes Street, Linden-Soesdyke Highway. Mohanlall was proceeding north along the western side of the road at the time of the accident.
As a result of the collision Munroe suffered injuries about his body. He was picked up in an unconscious condition and taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The body was taken to Memorial Gardens Funeral Home for storage and a subsequent post-mortem examination.
A breathalyzer test conducted on Mohanlall found no trace of alcohol in his system, the police said.
A video of the accident, which was seen by this newspaper, showed the pick-up proceeding at a fast rate. The vehicle is seen swerving into the opposite lane, in front of the truck. The collision resulted in the front of the pickup being crushed inward. The truck was then seen pushing the pickup off the road and into a corner of the road before coming to a stop.
Munroe’s son said that his father was heading up the east bank to meet with a business associate. He explained that upon hearing about the accident, he became worried but he did not assume that his father died. He said that his father worked as the head of the Library Department at the Parliament Office. He added that his father was healthy and it was a surprise that such an accident occurred. He said that his mother, siblings and the entire family were in a state of shock because the man left their home in a fine state.
“It’s surreal. It’s difficult to come to grips with the situation,” Munroe Jr said. He said that his father was easy going and he would often think of him as ‘young spirited’. He said that his father was always full of life and took pleasure in rendering assistance whenever he could.
Numerous tributes to Munroe and condolences to his family were shared yesterday on Facebook.
