FIFTY-NINE-YEAR-OLD carpenter Ramdhalar Dhanraj, aka Eddie, of Lot 8, Pearl, East Bank Demerara died on the spot yesterday a short distance from his home after a lumber-laden truck heading north in the direction of Georgetown suddenly crossed lanes and ran him over on the Pearl Public Road, East Bank Demerara.

Dhanraj was on the eastern side of the road when he was struck down.

Dragging Dhanraj and his bicycle, the truck came to rest in a drain more than 100 metres from where the accident had occurred. Dhanraj’s head was crushed.

His wife, Talakmattie Dhanraj, commonly called Bobby, said she had last seen her husband alive shortly after 17:00 hours yesterday, when he left to meet with some workers a short distance away. She was on the way to her daughter’s residence when relatives called her to say that her husband had been struck down.

“Dem girls tell meh that meh husband get knock down and meh tell dem meh didn’t believe. Then he niece call and she tell meh that if meh hear Uncle Eddie get knock down and meh seh ‘no’, and she seh ‘yeah, he dead!’ and then I walking coming down and I beg a car man to give meh a drop,” she said at the scene, amidst a gathering of sympathising neighbours and inconsolable relatives.

Eyewitnesses said the driver and porter of the truck appeared to be intoxicated, but this could not be verified. They were,

however, taken to the Timehri Police Station.

Another eyewitness said that while the truck had not been speeding, it was swerving as it proceeded along the road.

Dhanraj leaves to mourn his wife, three children and five grand-children.