Colonarie man struck by passenger van

Viclene Matthews 06.FEB.09

Just last Friday he sang “Happy Birthday” to his mother.

Now, a few days later, Lennox Lawrence is dead.{{more}}

Lawrence was about to cross the street on the Colonarie main road when met his untimely death.

Yards away from his Colonarie home, “Bongo”, as he was affectionately known, was killed after he was struck by Passenger van HQ 676, driven by Veron Medica, Tuesday afternoon about 5:35 p.m.

When SEARCHLIGHT arrived at the scene of the accident, several persons were reminiscing about Lawrence, and how he was always “directing” traffic along the Colonarie main road.

Lawrence, a mason by profession, was described by his brother Odel as a “village helper”. “He would help anybody do anything without charge,” Odel said.

His mother Vilna Baptiste said when the accident occurred she had just finished sweeping the porch and gone into the kitchen. “I hear a hit, and by the time me look out ah saw me neighbour come and pick up a hat,” the mother of nine said.

Baptiste recalled that she left her yard and went onto the main, road but her neighbour told her not to go any further.

A seemly composed Baptiste told SEARCHLIGHT her neighbour approached her and said: “Hold me. Oh God, them kill Bongo down they.”

She expressed that she has to be “satisfied” with the death of her first-born child, as she has “sugar, pressure, and can’t take on anything.”

Medica, a resident of Georgetown, is currently assisting police with investigations into the death of the Colonarie resident. Police are also awaiting the results of the post-mortem. Lawrence is this country’s third road fatality for the year so far.