THIRTY-eight-year-old Omadat Narine Singh, called Ravi, of 720 Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo was killed at approximately 23:45 hrs on Sunday when a car, the driver of which was suspected to be under the influence of alcohol, struck him down as he was standing awaiting transportation on the Zeeburg Public Road, West Coast Demerara.That driver was reportedly attempting to overtake another vehicle when the incident occurred. He fled the scene following the accident, abandoning the rented vehicle a short distance away without stopping to render any assistance to his accident victim.

In a tearful telephone interview, a sister of the dead Ravi told the Guyana Chronicle that family members were at home when a driver from the West Side Taxi Service, where Ravi had worked, informed them that Ravi had been involved in an accident. That sister disclosed that family members were also told that the driver of the car involved in the accident with Ravi, who also lives two streets away from where they live, had earlier evaded the police before becoming involved in the accident that claimed the life of her brother.

She reported being informed that the impact of the accident was so severe that her brother was thrown into the air. He landed on the bonnet of the car, smashing the windscreen; and as the driver slammed the brakes, her brother was pitched off the vehicle and his body rolled under a parked lorry. The lorry owners had to remove their vehicle before Ravi’s body could be retrieved.

Ravi’s sister has said the family is not interested in monetary compensation, but is concerned in seeing the driver of the vehicle that killed Ravi is brought to justice. The family is contending that this is not the first time this driver has been involved in an accident; some time ago, he was involved in an accident that had registered severe injuries to the body of a motorcyclist.

The late Omadat Narine Singh, called Ravi, is survived by his wife and three children, aged 14, 12 and 6. He had worked as a taxi driver for the past ten years, and according to his relatives, had never been involved in an accident.

Investigations into the accident are ongoing.
By Leroy Smith