A 61-year-old truck driver died on Monday night after another truck, slammed into his vehicle causing it to turn over.

Dead is Michael Walker of 36 Second Street, Friendship, East Bank Demerara. The man, who has been driving trucks for the past 30 years, was transporting fuel to Omai, when he died at Moblissa Hill, Linden-Soesdyke Highway on Monday night.

His reputed wife, Nicola Schultz told Stabroek News yesterday that Walker had left the home at about 6:30pm on Monday to ferry the fuel       to Omai. “Around 11:15 Monday night, me landlord come an ask me way Michael deh, cause she receive a telephone call dat he get in a bad accident. Suh I tell she dat he gone in de interior fuh carry oil”, she recalled.

The grieving woman related that when she immediately called her husband’s cellular phone and the porter, who was with him on the truck, answered and told her that Walker had died. This was around 11:15pm, she said, though her husband died at 9:30pm. Shultz recalled that she was told that a truck, which belongs to a well known construction company, and which was loaded with stone attempted to overtake her husband’s vehicle just before Linden. However, another vehicle was heading towards them and the driver attempted to avoid it and slammed into the tray of the truck that Walker was driving.

This caused Walker’s vehicle to flip over several times and he was pitched out of the cabin. His neck was apparently broken and he also sustained head injuries and reportedly died on the spot, she said. The porter, who was also in the cabin escaped with minor scratches.

Police in a release last evening said that investigations revealed that lorry GKK 8224 was travelling to Linden behind lorry GEE 4295 which was being driven by Walker.

“The vehicles were proceeding down a hill in the Moblissa area when it is alleged that the brakes of motor lorry GKK 8224 failed and the vehicle ran into the rear of motor lorry GEE 4295. As a result of the impact GEE 4295 turned turtle” and Walker sustained injuries.

Walker was taken to the McKenzie Hospital where he was pronounced dead while the porter was admitted but discharged yesterday morning.

Walker had only started working at his current job in February. He also leaves to mourn his brothers and sisters, three step-children and other relatives.

A post-mortem examination is expected to be done today.