Accident claims life of retarded man

Jul 31, 2012 News

Tragedy struck the residents of Lot 117 New Road Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara, early yesterday morning, as a vehicular accident claimed the life of one of them.
Dead is 46 year old Motieram Chatterpaul, also called “Motie,” who was said to be retarded. He was struck by motorcar PPP 4000 in the vicinity of his home around 6:30am yesterday.

Dead Motieram Chatterpaul

The driver of the vehicle was apprehended shortly after the accident and is currently in police custody.
Kaieteur News understands that Chatterpaul was hit by the white Toyota Premio motorcar as he attempted to cross the road. According to reports, he died on the spot.
One of the dead man’s relatives told Kaieteur News that the car must have been going at a fast rate since there was a loud screeching sound before it came to halt. The relative said that before anyone could render assistance Chatterpaul took his last breath.
“He just finish drinking he tea and he gone pun de road. I hear the sound from a distance and when I run outside I see Motie pun the ground and the car spinning and then it swerve and stop. The car had to be going wid a speed cause a piece of the man shirt left stick up pon windscreen,” the relative said.
According to the relative, Chatterpaul never troubled anyone. “He was walking this road for more than 40 years and never get knock down. He loved to go to Mandir steady; he does even sleep there sometimes” the relative stated.
However, a hire car driver related that the mentally unstable man was constantly seen on the roadways wandering aimlessly. “At times he would take off; jumping or running on the roads”. The driver noted that constant vigilance was required to avoid running over the man.
This publication was told that the dead man came from a destitute home where he lived with his parents who are both pensioners. The family survives on government pensions and public assistance.
Additional aid from relatives will be needed to bury Motieram Chatterpaul on Thursday.