The police have been able to locate two eyewitnesses to the suspected hit and run that resulted in the death of Dustin Crawford at Eccles on Thursday, Traffic Chief Ian Amsterdam has confirmed.
Crawford, 19, of Lot 39, Friendship, East Bank of Demerara, was on Flour Mill Road when a DOCOL truck crushed him, Amsterdam said. The Traffic Chief said the police are awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination to wrap up their investigations.
Crawford, who had been a member of the Guyana Under-19 Rugby team, was on his way to the Namilco Flour Mill, where rugby players were about to tour the facility as part of an annual summer programme.
Theodore Henry, Crawford’s rugby coach, described him as a person who would accept any challenge. He said Crawford was very committed to the sport and helpful.
On the day he was killed, Crawford was one of the persons who spearheaded the trip to the flour mill, Henry said.
His coach said the entire rugby fraternity was shocked by his untimely death. Henry said he expected Crawford would have started to take part in club tournaments.
“Right now everybody just gloomy. It is tough to lose such a young player; he has not even began to live life and his rugby career was in his infancy, it is just a difficult time,” Henry said sadly.
He added that Crawford’s club will be there for the family and provide whatever assistance it can.
Meanwhile, the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) said it was shocked when it learned that Crawford died.
In a statement, the union added that Crawford’s short involvement in the sport had made an indelible impression on his fellow sportsmen. The young rugby player had great potential to become a leading sportsman in Guyana, it added.
Crawford, who would have celebrated his 20th birthday on August 9th, is survived by his parents, five brothers, and a one-year-old daughter.
