Police Constable Ray Simon lost his life yesterday after he apparently jumped from a moving GuySuCo truck, on which he had been hitching a ride.
The accident occurred just before 7am along the Whim Public Road.
Twenty minutes before, Simon had joined the truck, GLL 9308, at Liverpool Village, to hitch a ride with GuySuCo workers after there had been a heavy downpour.
His colleagues said it was customary for the policeman to leave the Whim Police Station Compound daily for early morning exercise. However, he did not return to the station yesterday.
Instead, truck driver Nesam Khan reported the accident and informed the police that the injured rank was at the Port Mourant Hospital. Simon died at the hospital.
Khan told Stabroek News that he had observed Simon amongst GuySuCo workers when the truck stopped at Liverpool Village.
He said it was raining and several persons, including the policeman, joined the vehicle.
Khan explained that it is a common practice that whenever persons wanted to disembark from the truck, they would knock at the side of the vehicle to alert the driver.
“But he did not do so. Instead, he descended the front steps and jumped off. His feet apparently slid and he hit his head on the back stair of the truck. I looked through the rear view mirror and I saw him off balancing. It happened within seconds. I then stopped the vehicle and in company with others took him to the Port Mourant Hospital. At the time he was bleeding through his nose and mouth. He remained speechless. I then returned to Whim Police Station where, I made a report,” the driver disclosed.
Meanwhile, the mother of the deceased, Wanita Simon, was overwhelmed with grief after collecting her eldest son’s belongings from the barrack room at Whim Police Station compound.
She was at home at Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, when another son, who is also a member of the Guyana Police Force, informed her of the accident.
Moments later her fears were confirmed after Commander Christopher Griffith telephoned her and informed her of the tragedy.
“I brought my sons up without a father. My husband was electrocuted sixteen years ago. And now I have to bury my eldest child. Oh God help me!” she moaned.
In addition to his mother and two siblings, Simon is survived by a daughter.
