A Number 71 Village, Corentyne man is now dead after he was struck by a fire tender, which was responding to a report of a fire that turned out to be a false alarm on Sunday night.
The accident which claimed the life of Mahendra Haricharan, 34, of Number 71 Village, Corentyne, occurred around 10 pm along the Number 72 Village, Corentyne Public Road.
After being hit, Haricharan was rushed to the Skeldon Public Hospi-tal, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Up to yesterday, the driver of the fire truck remained in police custody.
According to information gathered by this newspaper, Haricharan, who is unemployed, was attempting to cross the road when he was struck by the tender, PVV 2027, which was responding from the Skeldon Fire Station to a fire report at the Number 51 Village, Corentyne at the time.
According to his mother, Rajnet Ketwaru, her son, who was mildly intoxicated, “was just on the road.” “Them people on the road tell me the fire truck had on the sirens but I would like justice for my son,” the woman added.
Meanwhile, Stabroek News was told that after arriving at Number 51 Village, Corentyne, the firefighters discovered that the fire report was a false alarm.
The front windscreen of the fire truck shattered, while the front bumper and headlights were also damaged as a result of the accident.
The driver of the tender, who has been with the fire service for over five years, passed a breathalyser test, which was administered to him by lawmen.
Harricharan, who resided in America for over 21 years, returned to Guyana less than a year ago to reside with his sickly mother. His mother described him as a quiet person who did not keep much company.
