A 45-year-old cane harvester of Lot 105, Sixth Street, Whim Village, East Berbice, Corentyne, lost his life after he was struck by a car driven by an alleged drunk driver who happens to be his neighbour.

Dead is Doodnauth Sookraj, called “Shooba”. The accident occurred around 01:30hrs on Sunday when a motor vehicle bearing registration HC 4917, proceeding east along the northern side of the public road, turned north into the Whim Access Road, hitting Sookraj in the process. Sookraj was on his bicycle at the time.

According to an eyewitness, Mohindra Sookraj, 25, who was also a passenger in the car and the nephew of the dead man, after his uncle was hit, the driver of the car left the scene and went to his brother to relate what transpired.

He said he was unaware that the man who was struck down was his uncle until they returned to the scene.

Sookraj was picked up and taken to the Port Mourant Hospital where he succumbed. He was taken by the same car that struck him down but it was driven by the brother of the suspect.

“We went to the shop and when we coming back in, he [driver] bin drunk. He sway in to turn in the street and he [victim] was in the corner and when the driver pull, he couldn’t control the car and knock down the man. He go home and tell his brother he knock down somebody. When the brother come back to see who, meh see was meh Chacha,” Mohindra said.

Meanwhile, wife of the dead man, Amchee Reddi, who was in a state of shock and disbelief, explained that her husband left home around 22:30hrs to purchase an item from a nearby shop and subsequently went to a wake in the community.

She described her husband as a hard-working and very peaceful person.

The 26-year-old driver, identified as Goutam Budhoo called ‘Kesh’, was arrested. A breathalyser test done on him showed traces of alcohol above the legal limit.
He remains in police custody as the police continue their investigation into the accident. Sookraj leaves to mourn his wife and three children ages, 25, 24 and 17.