A garbage collector was crushed by his truck and killed yesterday morning at Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
At the time of the accident, Deon King, 46, of Lot 109 Best Village, West Coast Demerara (WCD) was performing his duties along with co-workers from the Puran Brothers Disposal Service.
The accident occurred around 7.30 am as the workers finished collections in one street. King was directing the truck driver to reverse but was crushed. He died on the spot.
The driver was afterward taken into police custody.
Miriam Burke, King’s mother, told Stabroek News that two workers from Puran Brothers went to her home early yesterday morning and informed her that King had been involved in an accident and they needed her and his wife to accompany them. Burke said when she arrived at the scene, she saw the body of her son at the corner of the road covered with a sheet.
She then started to wail as she identified her son, whose abdomen was crushed in.
The man’s wife, who asked not to be named, said King left for work around 5.30 yesterday morning and hours after she received a call from him. “He call and tell me that he got two more barrel to empty and then he will come home and take me to town to do some shopping—since tomorrow [May 3] is my birthday—and let me must go out on the road and reach he, but the time never come,” the grieving widow said.
At his home, family members gathered and they expressed shock at the tragic incident. His wife said she had four children before her union with King but he took care of them as if they were his own. Now that he is dead, she questioned how she will manage on her own, particularly since the family is poor.
Meanwhile, General Manager of Puran Brothers Disposal Kaleshwar Puran described the man’s death as unfortunate.
He said King was a very good worker and had been with the company from 2013. He said he had spoken with the man’s family and plans to take care of the funeral expenses.
King was des-cribed as a very loving and jovial person.
