The family of an elderly Melanie, East Coast Demerara (ECD) woman was on Sunday morning thrown into despair after she was struck down and killed allegedly by a speeding minibus while on her way to church.
The dead woman has been identified as 87-year-old Lydia Rodriguez, called “Aunty Baby”, of Lot 51 North Melanie.
Guyana Times understands that the woman was struck down around 06:00h just
Lydia Rodriguez
15 minutes after she left her home.
It is being reported that minibus BKK 6714, which was being driven by Narsigh Jagsar, of Supply, Mahaica, ECD was proceeding west along the southern lane of the said road while the pedestrian was standing on the northern side of the road.
However, as the minibus approached, Rodriguez began to cross the road from north to south, ending up on the southern lane. As such, she was struck by the vehicle.
Rodriguez, who sustained head injuries, was picked up by public-spirited persons in an unconscious state and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
A breathalyser test conducted on Jagsar showed no trace on alcohol in his system. He was taken into Police custody and was assisting with the investigation.
This publication visited the woman’s home and was told by her son, Courtney Cansious, that Rodriguez was on her way to church.
According to the man, the accident occurred just 15 minutes after his mom left her house.
She was reportedly chatting with a villager who assisted her by stopping a minibus, which she had to cross over the road to get on.
“He hit she down and he fling. She wig left one part on the road and she body was at another part,” the distraught man explained.
Cansious relayed that he was told by the said villager who accompanied his mother that she was almost on the other side of the road when she was struck down.
He explained, “The man tell me that he flag down the bus and it stop so he and my mother say their goodbyes and then he was about to hop unto his motorcycle. He say that when he look up, she was almost on the other side of the road when the bus came out of nowhere and knock she down.”
He claimed that the driver of the vehicle had to be speeding and relayed that eyewitnesses could attest to the same.
“He was speeding and like he was trying to overtake somebody because people who saw the accident say that by the time he saw the lady, he couldn’t have done anything to save she.”
Cansious also revealed that when taken back to the scene of the accident, the driver was unable to explain clearly to the traffic officer what had occurred.
Rodriquez leaves to mourn four children and many grandchildren. She was described as a very fun-loving and agile woman.
The matter is being further investigated.
