A 38-year-old man of unsound mind died after he was hit by a mini-bus while reportedly trying to cross the road at Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara (WCD) on Saturday evening.
Michael Latchana of Blankenburg, WCD was pronounced dead on arrival at the West Demerara Regional Hospital, the police said in a press statement. The police said that they are investigating the incident which occurred at about 6:45pm on Saturday.
Investigations revealed that Latchana allegedly attempted to cross the main road and was struck down by a mini-bus, the police stated. The driver of the mini-bus was taken into police custody to assist with investigations.
Relatives said yesterday that Latchana was of unsound mind.
His sister, Shushila Ramsammy called ‘Shivo’ said that she heard about the incident at 5 am yesterday when her brother Rajesh told her about it.
She stated that she did not know the details of how it occurred. Ramsammy said that Latchana had been admitted to the Psychiatric Ward of the Georgetown Public Hospital and was also sent to the Psychiatric Hospital in Berbice but was always released.
After their mother died “Michael got wayward with friends and started to use drugs”, she stated.
Relatives said that Latchana had attempted to commit suicide on a number of occasions and wandered the streets sleeping in bus sheds and “anywhere night catch he”.
They said that they received court permission to have him committed to the Psychiatric Ward on a number of occasions but he was always released. Six months ago, they said, he was admitted to the hospital for observation but was released after three days and as he made his way home, he jumped over the Demerara Harbour Bridge. He had also thrown himself in front of a truck previously.
The relatives were adamant that had he received better care and had been admitted to the hospital, Latchana would have been alive today.
He was the second of five children.