AIRPORT ROAD:--- An unidentified man is now dead due to a heavily speeding motor vehicle that hit the man who apparently was crossing the road in the vicinity of Thrifty Car Rental on Airport Road. An eye witness that was on the scene of the accident told SMN News that the vehicle did not even stop to render assistance to the man who died shortly after being struck The eyewitness said the hit and run accident occurred around 7 am Thursday morning. Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson said based on the information the victim was jogging when black Hummer that was driving at high speed hit the man and continued driving. The police spokesman is calling on eyewitnesses to come forward and provide police with the license plate number of the vehicle so that they could find the driver of the vehicle. Henson said this case has already been classified as a murder case, SMN News managed to obtain the vehicle license plate number from an eyewitness who said the black Hummer bears the license plate P151 and is owned by a Haitian man called Bruno.
After SMN News publized who the driver was, police managed to arrest the driver in Cay Bay at his home which is located behind former Island Material Building. Police was seen arresting the driver while they also confiscated the damanged vehicle that was parked up at the suspect's house. Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson confirmed that both the vehicle and its owner was arrested shortly after they got information from eyewitnesses to the fatal hit and run accident. A relative family identified the victim as Ramesh Manik, a local resident that was also a member of the Rotary Club of St. Maarten.
SMN News reporter saw the suspect identified as Bruno standing outside of the Philipsburg Police station just after 1:30pm on Thursday seemingliy waiting for transportation to go home. Upon enquiry SMN News learnt that police arrested the wrong suspect.
Pedestrian looses life in hit and run traffic accident
On Thursday April 16th at approximately 07.00 a.m. police patrols were sent to the Airport Boulevard in the vicinity of Thrifty Car Rental to investigate a serious traffic accident involving a pedestrian and a black jeep. The driver of the jeep did not stop and continued driving after hitting the pedestrian with the jeep and leaving in a helpless situation on the side of the road. On the scene the patrol encountered the lifeless body of a male victim who was not showing any signs of life. The paramedics arrived on the scene shortly after but however could not do anything the save the victim's life. The Airport Boulevard was immediately closed off in both directions for the traffic department and Forensic department to collect evidence and carry out an investigation. Doctor Mercuur arrived on the scene and pronounced the death of the victim. Based on information that came into the police department a male suspect living in the Cape bay area and the owner of a black HUMMER jeep with license plate P-151 was arrested at his home as a suspect in this case. The vehicle was also confiscated for further investigation. This case is been investigated by the police traffic department.
POLICE REQUESTING PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
In connection with the ongoing investigation regarding the "hit and run" traffic accident which took place on Thursday April 16th between 06.30 and 07.00 a.m. on the Airport Boulevard, the police traffic department is requesting the assistance of the public to gather more information. Later during the morning of the incident a possible suspect in this case was arrested at his home and his black HUMMER with license plate P-151 was confiscated for the investigation. The results of the questioning of the suspect and the preliminary investigation on the HUMMER thus far did not indicate any involvement of the suspect or his vehicle. The suspect in the meanwhile was released but his vehicle will temporarily remain at the disposal of the traffic department for further investigation.
The police have seen and studied footage from the surveillance cameras from businesses and homes in the area and noticed that there have been other drivers driving on that road around the same time the incident took place. The police are asking those witnesses who may have witnessed anything that could be of importance to the investigation to come forward and give this information.
KPSM Police Report
