A pensioner was found dead last night at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, after a suspected hit and run.
The body of Ashraf Ali, 65, of Lot 173 Mon Repos Pasture, was found by a passerby at Third Street, Mon Repos Pasture with what appeared to be tire marks on his body.< /p>
A Guyana Police Force report stated that Ali’s body was discovered around 9 pm at Third Street, Mon Repos.
Police enquiries disclosed that the victim was seen motionless on the road with injuries about his body and a reddish substance which appeared to be blood around him.
The police and the ambulance were summoned and paramedics found no pulse. Ali was subsequently placed into the ambulance and escorted to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was confirmed to be dead.
Imron Baksh, a nephew of the deceased, told Stabroek News that a police officer informed him of Ali’s death last night. He was then taken to the location where the body was found and he saw his uncle’s body lying at the corner of the street under the shade of a nearby lantern post.
Baksh disclosed that there was what appeared to be tracks from a double-wheel vehicle in the vicinity, indicating that Ali might have been run over.
He was told that his uncle was drinking earlier with a friend in another street and had fallen into a drain after becoming drunk. He was subsequently picked up by residents, who washed him off, and he remained at a culvert up until he met his demise later.
Baksh told this newspaper that someone had visited his home earlier and told his wife that the deceased was lying at a culvert. However, Baksh, who was out for most of the day, stated that he looked for his uncle while returning home but did not see him.
He said that he did not conduct a further search since it was habitual for his uncle to get drunk and stay out.
Baksh said in 2017 he took in his uncle to live at his home, where he built a small one-bedroom apartment for him to stay. Ali nonetheless continued to abuse alcohol.
The nephew said when Ali became eligible to receive an old age pension, relatives were reluctant to sign him up as they were concerned about him taking the money to purchase alcohol.
However, about two weeks ago they decided that it was his right and took him to sign up.
Last Thursday, accompanied by a relative, Ali was taken to the post office and he received two months’ pension. On Saturday, he began drinking and he continued yesterday.
