Lusignan painter killed in hit-and-run accident

A male pedestrian was Monday evening struck down by a motorcycle and then run over by a motor car along the Lusignan Public Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
Dead is 53-year-old Prahalad Sawh of Lot 167 Lusignan, ECD. The accident occurred sometime around 18:55h.

According to Police reports, both the motorcycle (CL 4502) and motor car (PVV 854) were proceeding in the eastern direction on the ECD public road. The motorcyclist told investigators that he was behind a minibus when he suddenly saw a shadow moving across the roadway.
He noted that as the minibus passed; he saw the pedestrian in front of him but he was so close and as such he collided with Sawh. Both the motorcyclist and the pedestrian sustained injuries.
However, the 31-year-old motorcyclist, instead of assisting the pedestrian, picked up his bike and drove away. He later turned up at a city hospital to seek medical attention.
Meanwhile, the driver of the motor car told the Police that whilst proceeding along the said road at a normal rate of speed behind the motorcyclist, he saw someone laying on the roadway and he pulled north to avoid a collision but despite his effort, he ran over the person.

The driver added that he then pulled his vehicle to the northern side of the roadway and it was then he saw Sawh lying on the road in a motionless state,
At the home of the dead man on Tuesday, his reputed wife, Sanmatie Persaud, said she witnessed the fatal accident.

“Me sit down and me see when he cross the road… after that, me in see he no more. After then me hear a knock on the road and me daughter said ‘mommy tek kay is daddy?’ It was something knock and skate. I pull on a jersey and when I going out we see a car and we hear another knock harder than the one before.”
“When the car light shine, I see he bag at the corner of the road and me start holler… nobody know that it was he lay down pun deh road,” she said.
Persaud said at the time her husband was killed, he was returning home from work. She also debunked the claims of the motorcyclist.
“You could see where the bucket dropped. That man deh stand right in the corner deh. If the motorbike got one light in front, how you gone see a shadow with that big white bucket? What are they trying to tell people? It’s right on the concrete he knock my husband.”
She said what was sickening for her, was that the motorcyclist did not even stop to render assistance.
“He hustling to go around the other side and knock my husband. Is my daughter had to run behind him and he drive away and she memorised the number plate,” she said.
Meanwhile, an eyewitness told <<<Guyana Times>>> that he was on the main road when he saw both the motorcyclist and driver had jumped the traffic light and were speeding along the roadway. The man said the motorcyclist first jumped the light and hit the man, and shortly after, the car also jumped the light and took off with a speed.
He said after they saw the car take off with a speed from the traffic light, they tried signalling the driver to warn him about the accident ahead, but he could not hear.
“Them boy try signalling he but because of how fast he was going he couldn’t hear. The man on the floor moving he was just injured. All of a sudden, we hear a loud knock and is run over he run over the man and kill he.”
The eyewitness also stated that at the time of the accident, the motorcycle had no light.
In addition, a businessman related that he was in his shop when he heard the first impact but paid no need. However, he decided to check after he saw the speeding car approaching.
He also said that the car had jumped the traffic light and without any caution, ran over the pedestrian.
The Police and ambulance were summoned to the scene where Sawh was examined and pronounced dead. The family has since called for justice.