A 53-year-old mother of three lost her life on Sunday evening when she was struck down by a motor car as she was crossing the Canje Public Road.
Dead is Behaspattie aka Beeda of Lord Street Number 2 Village, East Canje, Berbice. The woman was struck by the front right side of the car, which bore the licence plate PPP 1989.
She was flung upward and landed several feet away. She was pronounced dead on arrival at the New Amsterdam Hospital.
According to eyewitness reports, Behaspattie was attempting to cross the usually busy public road via a pedestrian crossing when the speeding car hit her.
Neither the driver of the car nor his lone passenger, a woman, was seriously injured. They along with bystanders managed to place Beeda in the said car and took her to the hospital.
Speaking to Stabroek News, Kumari, Beeda’s son’s mother-in-law, related that they were at home when they were informed of the incident by a neighbour.
“One of my neighbours come and say, ‘gal, Beeda get accident’ and we ask if is anything serious but she couldn’t say,” the woman explained.
At that point, Kumari summoned her husband and together they went to relate the news to Beeda’s youngest son who is married to their daughter. By the time the family reached the New Amsterdam Hospital, the woman had already died.
Kumari revealed that Beeda, who lived alone, was returning home after purchasing food from the Chinese Restaurant on the Public Road when she met her demise.
“She asked two body to go and buy food for her, but they refuse and she just decide to go herself,” Kumari stated, adding, “the driver was coming from New Amsterdam with full speed and just hit her.
Her food and slippers were scattered on the road and by the time we reach at the hospital she was already dead.”
Meanwhile, Beeda’s youngest child, Muniram Henura, 25, was at a loss for words and could not come to grips with the fact that his mother had died. His face stricken with grief, he whispered, “Is my mother-in-law come and tell me she get knock down.”
He added that when they arrived at the hospital, “Nurses tell us that they try to give her saline and oxygen but there was no help.”
Behaspattie, who had maintained her livelihood as a domestic worker, leaves to mourn her three children, daughter-in-law and six grandchildren.
The driver of the vehicle is in police custody assisting with the investigations.
