A 69-year-old resident of Rose Hall Town, Corentyne was struck down by a pick-up while crossing the road around 8:15 pm on Monday and died while receiving treatment at the New Amsterdam Hospital.
Robert Mathias Hackett arrived at the hospital around 8:40 pm and succumbed shortly after while in the emergency room, his son, Michael Hackett told Stabroek News yesterday.
He said his father, who used a walking aide was returning home after visiting a friend when the accident occurred.
The driver of the grey pick-up, GJJ 2908 assisted in taking his father to the hospital. His sister, Aridanna heard the noise and by the time she ran out of the house her father had already been placed in the back of the vehicle.
She joined the vehicle and accompanied her father to the hospital.
While there, Michael said the driver saw his sister crying after she had spoken to the doctor and he immediately left.
However the number of his vehicle had been recorded by the security guard upon entering the compound and according to a police release he was arrested at Triumph on the East Coast yesterday.
Another son, Dwayne told this newspaper that his father sustained injuries to his head and right foot. Dwayne came from Georgetown on Sunday to celebrate his father’s birthday with him and left in the evening.
He said he was shocked when he received the news the following day that that his father had died.
He spoke to his father by telephone often and recalled that his father last called him around 9 am on Monday.
Hackett who hailed from the North West District had left the area on a government scholarship in the 60s and was sent to the Indian Educational Trust College.
He also started working on a road project on the Corentyne where he met his late wife, Eunice in 1966, got married and remained there ever since. He is expected to be laid to rest on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Dwayne said he could not understand why the township of Rose Hall does not have any street lights.
