Police in Regional Division No.2 are investigating an alleged hit-and-run fatal accident which occurred on Sunday at 12.30 am on the public road at Walton Hall, Essequibo Coast.
The accident allegedly involved motorcar PGG 8477, owned and driven by a 23-year-old farmer of Siriki, Pomeroon River, and pedestrian Andrew Murray (now deceased), a 23-year-old of Lot 18 Jib, Essequibo Coast.
The police said that members of the public made a report of an unidentified male seen lying motionless in a trench located on the northern side of the public road.
Police ranks visited the scene, and pieces of a number plate were seen on the ground. These were put together, and a search was later made for the motorcar.
At about 4 pm yesterday, ranks were on duty in a force motorcar on the La Union Public Road, Essequibo Coast, when the suspected motorcar was spotted in a yard.
The driver told the police he was driving motorcar PGG 8477, proceeding in an eastern direction on the northern driving lane on the said public road, when he felt an impact to the left side of his motorcar after which he came to a halt. He said that he then exited his motorcar and made checks but did not see anything.
He subsequently re-entered his motorcar and drove to his residence. The driver was then cautioned, arrested and escorted to the Anna Regina Police Station, where he was placed in custody. The motorcar was also lodged at the station to be examined by a Licensing and Certifying Officer.
According to Yonette Blake, the mother of the deceased, Murray was the sole breadwinner for her family. She said that he returned from Parika three months ago and was living with her sister Sharon Chattergoon at Jib.
Murray was last seen at Saturday midnight by relatives. Chattergoon said that he would usually support her financially and that she received the news Sunday afternoon that her nephew’s body was in a drain. She said when she went to identify her nephew’s body his face was down in the mud and bore marks of violence.
“I really can’t say if he had a fight or it was an accident, but he had marks of violence about his body, he had some grievances before but we don’t know, we wish the driver had taken him to the hospital and things would have been better,” Chattergoon said.
She said his body was taken out from the mud and taken to the Suddie Public Hospital where a doctor examined and certified him dead.
Blake said that she is a single parent and her son usually took care of her and the remaining siblings. Police are continuing their investigations into the matter.
