Family shattered as questions mount over teen’s death during alleged Police pursuit in Corriverton

Grief engulfed a Corentyne family on Friday as relatives struggled to come to terms with the death of 16-year-old Aftaz King, whose life was cut short during what residents and family members allege was a police pursuit that ended in tragedy.

The teenager, a labourer of Lot 49 Eliza Mary Race Course, Corentyne, Berbice, died after the motorcycle he was riding crashed into a Guyana Power and Light (GPL) utility pole along the Princeton Access Road at about 6:45 p.m.

News of the teenager’s death quickly spread through the community, triggering protests as scores of residents gathered on the roadway, demanding answers. Many alleged they witnessed police pursuing the teenager moments before the crash and claimed the police vehicle struck the motorcycle from behind, causing him to lose control.

Police have since launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal incident.

Speaking with the News Room, Aftaz’s grandmother, Marcelline King, recalled speaking to her grandson only minutes before learning he had been involved in the crash.

Still visibly shaken, she said the family cannot understand how a routine police pursuit could have ended with the death of a teenager.

She claimed eyewitnesses told the family that the police vehicle made contact with the rear of the motorcycle, sending the teen into the utility pole.

“They said the police hit him from behind and he fly into the lamp pole,” she alleged.

Aftaz was rushed to the Number 75 Regional Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

His mother, Padmine Megnauth, said she was informed that her son suffered severe injuries, including trauma to his head and neck and a broken foot.

She disclosed that Aftaz had previously been stopped by police for riding without a licence but had recovered his motorcycle after presenting proof of ownership. She further alleged that one of the officers involved in that previous encounter was among those pursuing her son before the fatal crash.

For the grieving family, the loss has been especially painful because they say the teenager had been trying to build a future for himself.

According to relatives, Aftaz had attended Line Path Secondary School before leaving to work. They said he purchased the motorcycle with money he earned through his job.

His grandmother described him as respectful, caring and hardworking, adding that he had recently applied to join the Guyana Police Force.

“Then the sweetest part is that he put in to join the Police Force and is the same Police kill he. It hurt me,” she said through tears.

As investigators work to determine exactly what happened in the moments leading up to the crash, residents continue to question the circumstances surrounding the pursuit and whether it could have been handled differently.

Police have not publicly addressed the allegations that the patrol vehicle struck the motorcycle, and investigations remain ongoing.