A pedal cyclist is now dead after being hit by a minibus on the Corentyne Highway at Corriverton, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), on Sunday morning.
Dead is 39-year-old Purshotam Tilak called “Navin” of Lot 125 Albert Street, Kingston, Corriverton.
Reports are that Tilak was riding a bicycle coming out of Albert Street onto the Corentyne Highway when he was struck down.
According to one eyewitness, the minibus was travelling at a fast rate of speed at the time.
“I hear the impact; ‘bam’ and I see the man skate… and he [was] bleeding heavy, if he pitch so far it means that the bus was coming with a rate,” Ranjit Ramsundar said while noting that even though the bus was in a township, it was driving at a fast rate at the time of the accident.
Other eyewitnesses said the driver claimed that he was late for a cricket game. However, they did not say where the game was being played or if the driver was supposed to be playing in the game.
Meanwhile, the dead man’s mother, 58-year-old Chitranie Samlall called “Mala” said her son had left to purchase pine tarts when he was hit by the speeding minibus.
The accident scene showing where the minibus stopped and where Tilak was picked up from
She described the 39-year-old man as always willing, noting that he was always there for her and the rest of their family.
“He always stay with me; he never married. The last thing he tell me was ‘Mummy, me go come back just now. Me ah go buy cake for Pupa’.”
Samlall and her son lived at the Albert Street home, where they took care of an old man they called “Pupa”.
The accident occurred a stone’s throw away from the Springlands Police Station.
Police officers reportedly arrived at the scene quickly and supervised Tilak being removed and placed into the minibus to be taken to hospital.
He died while receiving medical attention.
Tilak reportedly suffered head injuries.
Guyana Times was told that the driver has promised to assist the grieving family “in any way possible.”
Nevertheless, he was taken into custody and is assisting Police with the investigations.
On Friday, 43-year-old Deoranie Sukhram of Dundee village, Mahaicony, died after the minibus she was travelling in slammed into a fence at Britannia, West Coast Berbice.
The accident also left one other passenger seriously injured. (G4)
