A man is now dead after being struck along the Felicity Railway Embankment Road, on the East Coast of Demerara, where police say he ran into the path of an oncoming vehicle.
However, the family of Reaz Nazir, 35, of 37 Felicity, Railway Embankment Public Road, who was a foreman at Courtney Benn Contracting Services, has disputed the police force’s account of the circumstances that led to the fatal accident.
Police, in a statement on the accident, said their investigations found that motor vehicle PVV 7987 was being driven east along the northern carriageway of the road within the prescribed speed limit when the driver claims that Nazir, who was standing on the northern parapet, suddenly ran south into the path of the vehicle.
However, Nazir’s family claims he was still on the northern parapet when he was struck down by the car, which was driven by a 54-year-old resident of Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown.
“My son didn’t run over the road. He was with our neighbour about to cross and he one foot was over the line when the car hit him down,” his mother, Elizabeth Nazir, told Stabroek News.
She explained that the accident occurred around 6.55 am, when her son and the neighbour were about to cross the road.
The grieving mother noted that she was in the shop when she heard an impact and upon looking out the windows of the shop, she saw her son “rolling in the corner of the road.”
“He was in the shop here and then he walk out with the neighbour. And not long after I hear ‘bladam!’ I look and see my son rolling on the corner of the road. I scream meh lungs out and run outside to him…,” the mother recalled.
She went on to explain that the driver stopped some distance away before reversing to check on her son.
“Persons had to be behind to help us to get him to the hospital… the neighbour hold one side and I lift my son from the other end and put him in the car,” the mother said.
According to her, Reaz was admitted at the hospital in an unconscious state and never regained consciousness. He succumbed to his injuries at around 4 pm on Wednesday afternoon.
Members of the man’s family say that while they were at the hospital, the driver of the car, who is currently in police custody, returned to the scene and showed police the wrong point of impact.
The point of impact marked on the road is positioned approximately three feet away from the original point of impact, they say. They are also of the opinion that the driver was speeding which resulted in the fatal impact. As a result, they are calling for a thorough investigation to be done.
The deceased man is survived by his wife and daughter as well as his mother and three siblings.
