A three-year-old boy died on Sunday afternoon after he was struck by a vehicle on the Public Road at La Grange, West Bank Demerara (WBD).
Michael Blackman of La Parfaite Harmonie, WBD, died while receiving medical attention at the West Demerara Regional Hospital.
In a statement, the police said that around 14:40 hrs on Sunday, Blackman was standing on the road in the company of an older cousin when he ran across and was struck down by a motor vehicle. The driver of the vehicle, according to the release, is in police custody assisting with investigations.
Stabroek News understands that at the time of the incident, Blackman and his cousin were leaving a funeral.
When this newspaper visited the La Grange Police Station, the child’s mother and other relatives were present but they did not want to speak.
However, the owner of a shop located opposite La Grange burial ground expressed grief at the child’s death.
The woman related that she was in her kitchen when she heard loud screams and rushed to the front where she saw Blackman lying on the roadway.
She said he was quickly picked up and taken to the hospital and she learnt on Sunday evening that he had died.
An employee at the same shop related that she was standing with a friend on the roadway when she heard a loud impact; that was when the child was hit by the vehicle.
She was unable to say if the driver had been speeding or under what circumstances the accident occurred.
