MALIKA Patterson, 18, of Lot 137 Better Hope South, Area ‘J’, East Coast Demerara became the  latest road fatality when she was struck-down while attempting to cross the Number 29 Village Public Road in West Berbice early yesterday morning.

Police reported that, shortly after midnight on Friday night, Patterson, a pedestrian, was walking along the roadway and attempting to cross the road when she was struck-down  by motor car,  PMM 788.

Malika was pronounced dead on arrival at the Fort Wellington Hospital in West Berbice.

Police yesterday confirmed that the ill-fated driver of the motor vehicle involved in the accident has been arrested and is in custody assisting with the investigations.

Mother of the deceased, Audrey Newton, 43, told the Chronicle she received the news of her daughter’s demise via a telephone call early yesterday morning from her nephew, who lives at Number 28 Village in West Berbice.

The grieving woman said she immediately travelled to Berbice in an effort to identify her daughter’s body which was lying at Anthony’s Funeral Parlour at Fort Wellington, since the mortuary at the Fort Wellington Hospital is reportedly out of order.
Newton said when she saw her daughter’s broken body, she started screaming.

According to the woman, almost every part of her daughter’s body was broken and blood was still oozing from her ears, nose and mouth.

Newton explained that her daughter left with some friends to go to a ‘soiree’ (party) at a popular nightclub in Number 29 Village and was expected to spend the night at relatives’ home in Hopetown, also on the West Coast of Berbice.

The distraught mother said her daughter wanted to be a soldier and joined the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
“Malika said she wanted to be in the army and she would work and help me with her brothers since their father is not with them but never got the chance to…,”  Newton lamented.
According to Malika’s grandmother, Darcell Newton, 80, she and her granddaughter went to Georgetown on Friday afternoon and, en route to her home in Better Hope, the young lady told her that she was going to meet a friend and she would meet her later at the Plaisance bus park.  They parted ways at that point and this would be the last time Darcell saw her granddaughter alive.

After Malika didn’t show- up at the Plaisance bus park as planned, the elderly woman said she made her way home, alone.

At the time of her death, Malika was living with her mother, grandmother and two younger brothers at Better Hope.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) Traffic Headquarters, Eve Leary said that this year, 72 persons were killed in 70 road accidents countrywide, while for the same period in 2009, 74 persons died in 64 fatal accidents.