Amad Barkatally, a 61-year-old contractor did not survive his injuries. The resident of Diolle, Vacoas was supervising excavation work on the Royal Road in Rose-Belle near the Old Mill when he was hit by a Contract Van. The driver had fallen asleep at the wheel on the evening of Thursday, April 27. The sixty-year-old died at the Fortis Darné Clinic in Floréal on the evening of Monday, May 15. The 50-year-old driver, who lives in Vacoas, was brought before the court in Mahebourg on Tuesday morning, May 16. He is facing a provisional charge of manslaughter. He was later released on bail.
It was around 11:50 p.m. on Thursday, April 27 when a team of police officers from the Rose-Belle Police Station responded to an accident scene on Route Royale. Earlier, contractor Amad Barkatally, who was supervising excavation work, was struck by a contract van. The driver told police shortly afterwards that he had fallen asleep at the wheel of his vehicle. Injured, the sixty-year-old was evacuated to the Jawaharlall Nehru Hospital in Rose-Belle on board an ambulance of the Emergency Medical Service.
The accident was witnessed by three police officers who were on extra-duty at that location. The driver of the vehicle was given a breathalyzer test which was negative. He was able to leave the police station in the early morning hours of Friday, April 28 after giving his statement.
As for Amad Barkatally, he had left the hospital against medical advice after receiving treatment. He had subsequently undergone treatment in several medical institutions. On May 8 he was admitted to the Fortis Darné clinic. He died in the afternoon of Monday, May 15. In the evening of the same day an autopsy was performed on his body. The autopsy was performed by Dr. Sheila Jankee-Parsad, Principal Police Medical Officer, who attributed his death to meningoencephalitis due to a fracture of the thoraco-lumbar spine.
On the other hand, a 27 year old man from Plaine-Magnien was admitted to the neurological ward of the intensive care unit of the Dr. A.G. Jeetoo Hospital, Port-Louis following a car accident on Monday evening, May 15, in Bagatelle at the height of the highway. He was traveling in this car with a 30 year old man, when the 33 year old driver lost control of his vehicle. The car, which was coming from Pailles and driving towards Réduit, hit a concrete support of a lamp post. The other passenger and the driver also live in Plaine-Magnien. The latter was submitted to a breathalyzer test which was negative.
