NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD mechanic Davendra Jaipaul of Perth Village, Essequibo Coast was struck down and killed on the Exmouth Public Road by a Toyota Tundra vehicle on Christmas Night.

Davendra was reportedly riding a BMX bicycle when the Tundra, driven by a businessman of Hampton Court, Essequibo Coast, struck him.

Davendra’s brother, Bharrat Jaipaul, said he was standing on the road near a culvert not far from his home when Davendra left with the BMX bicycle for his grand-mother’s house at Exmouth.

Bharrat said he saw an approaching vehicle with bright white lights speeding along the road in a northerly direction to Charity and suddenly heard a loud bang coming from the direction of the road, but he did not take it too seriously because he surmised that it might have being an animal that had been hit in that very dark and lonely area.

Bharrat said the vehicle, which he recognised as a green Tundra, stopped about forty rods (some 500 feet) from the scene of the impact then the vehicle turned back and drove away.
Bharrat said he went home thinking that it was some animal that had been struck down.

He said his sister later told him that his grandmother had called to say that Davendra had not reached her home as yet. He became worried and quickly rushed along the public road to the spot where the vehicle had hit “something.” When he got to the spot, his cousin was already there with a torchlight and he immediately recognised his brother lying lifeless alongside his broken BMX bicycle on the road parapet. There was blood on the road, along with a broken mirror from the vehicle and pieces of glass.

Bharrat said his brother’s body was badly damaged, and there was blood oozing from his mouth, ears and nose, while his arms and feet were obviously broken.

After allegedly hitting the cyclist, the businessman is reported to have just driven away without offering any assistance; and returned to the scene some two hours later with a CID officer.

Police are investigating this incident.

(By Rajendra Prabhulall)