THE BODY of 52-year-old fish vendor Baldeo Mohan, also known as “Painter”, was discovered on the La Grange Public Road, West Bank Demerara yesterday morning. He was apparently the victim of a hit-and-run accident while on his way to purchase fish to sell. Hardeen Mohan, brother of the deceased, said Baldeo would normally leave his home at Lot 33 Doctor Dam, La Grange at about 02:00hrs every morning, and would ride to Versailles, where he would park his pedal cycle and join a boat to purchase fish at a city wharf before returning home.
Harden Mohan told the Guyana Chronicle that from the damage done to Baldeo’s pedal cycle, a vehicle had apparently hit his brother from behind. He said also that residents in the area reported hearing a loud impact just after 02:00hrs yesterday, but did not venture outside to investigate the cause of the sound, until about 05:30 hrs, when they began heading about their business. It was then that they noticed a mangled bicycle on the roadway, with the lifeless body of a man some 20 to 30 feet from the machine.
Residents then raised an alarm, and the police were summoned. They took statements from a few persons, and retrieved what appeared to be a piece of the bumper of the vehicle and another part. Police explained to family members that they were trying to ascertain the registration number of the vehicle that had hit Baldeo Mohan.
According to Hardeen, from looking at the two pieces of debris the police had retrieved, he got the impression that the man was struck down by either a Toyota Allion or Premio.
Baldeo Mohan, aka Painter, was pronounced dead on arrival at the West Demerara Regional Hospital. He leaves to mourn his wife and two grown children, besides other relatives and friends.