A 15-month-old boy died yesterday morning after he was crushed by a truck in front of his Zeelugt South, East Bank Essequibo house.
Dead is Terrence Antonio Wilson, of Lot 7 Plantation Zeelugt South, who is reported to have wandered under a rear wheel of the vehicle, from which his grandfather was purchasing kerosene. He died on spot.
The accident occurred around 6.30 am.
The driver, who has been identified as a 27-year-old resident of Zeelugt North Housing Scheme, was taken into custody.
In a statement on the accident, the Guyana Police Force yesterday said its initial investigation found that the truck, GVV 363, which was selling cooking gas and kerosene, was stopped by one of Wilson’s grandparents, who sought to make a purchase.
“During the process, the child… ventured out of the yard and went under the vehicle,” the police said.
At the child’s home yesterday, relatives were busy making preparations for a wake.
Persons turned up in numbers to offer condolences as the news of his death spread.
Mohan Goodridge, Wilson’s grandfather, told Sunday Stabroek that it is the norm for him to purchase kerosene every Saturday morning from the truck.
“So that truck come and stop right in front hay. I came outside. Well, I had to walk in front the truck to go ’round the other side; the porter them does deh the back. After buying the kero now, I pay the driver, the driver does collect the money,” Goodridge noted, before adding that he was unsure at what point the child ventured out of the yard.
“Apparently like the child (Wilson) went by the back wheel but me ain’t see when he came out right. The child suh fass that he come out from the room weh he muddah went but the truck was keeping noise, so I didn’t really hear anything……me ain’t see,” he added.
Goodridge said it was when the driver drove off that he heard a loud noise and he discovered that Wilson was crushed. “I hear a noise, like a popping noise, like, ‘pop.’ He (Wilson) brain get smash,” he said.
Goodridge said when he left the house, Wilson was in his bedroom with his mother.
However, Goodridge said while Wilson’s mother knew he left the bedroom, she did not expect him to venture out the yard since he would usually play around the house.
Wilson’s grandmother said she was in bed when she was alerted by shouts from persons from outside of the house.
“This thing happen so fast. Like within five minutes,” the woman said.
Wilson lived with his grandparents, his mother and a brother. He was the younger of the two siblings. (Sharda Bacchus)
