One killed in early morning accident on #19 Public Road

The police in Berbice are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of an East Canje, Berbice man whose body was discovered on the #19 Public Road this morning (Sunday June 04, 2017).

The dead man has been identified as 41-year-old Michael Andrews Totaram, also known as “punkman” of Adelphi New Scheme, East Canje, Berbice.

The police in ‘B’ Division believes that Totaram died as a result of a hit and run accident.

According to information reaching the News Room, at about 1: 00 hour on Sunday morning, the driver of motor car PSS 6395, 21 year old Emanuel Luther was heading to Rose Hall Town on the Corentyne from New Amsterdam to pick up two passengers, when on the #19 Public Road to he collided with an unknown subject.

Luther told investigators that following the collision, he disembarked his motor car and searched the area but did not find anything.

However, he related that he noticed that his number plate was damaged and re-entered the vehicle along with his cousin who was in the front passenger’s seat and continued the journey.

The News Room was told that while on their way back to New Amsterdam with the passengers, the car encountered difficulty and as a result, a call was placed to the taxi base whom he works with, to send another car to transport the stranded passengers to their location.

Luther said he stayed behind with his cousin not too far from where they had collided with the subject on the #19 Public Road.

Commander of ‘B’ Division Ian Amsterdam told reporters that ranks from his division received a phone call at about 1:30 hours this morning and proceeded to the scene where they found the man’s body on the road shoulder.

He was rushed to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Amsterdam disclosed that ranks returned to the scene and searched the area and found the suspect stranded with his motor car along the #19 Public Road not too far from the accident scene. As a result he was questioned and based on information he provided to police, he was later arrested.

The driver of the motor car is presently at the Reliance Police Station pending further investigations.