Guyana: 8-year-old Sahil Naipaul killed in hit-and-run, 21-year-old arrested after fleeing scene

Guyana: A tragic hit-and-run accident in Berbice, Guyana, has claimed the life of 8-year-old Sahil Naipaul, who was struck by a car driven by a 21-year-old male and left to die in a gutter after the driver swiftly fled the scene.

The horrific accident allegedly occurred on Tuesday, August 5, when a car driven by a 21-year-old man, whose name has not been disclosed, sped through Crabwood Creek streets near the Mary Gas Station and struck the 8-year-old, who died moments later.

Davi Ramkissoon, a 24-year-old mother of five, received the news in shock, lamenting that she had lost her 10-year-old oldest son just last year. She reportedly said that a neighbor gave her the shocking news while she was at home cooking. “I put down everything and immediately came out on the road and I saw my son in the trench,” she recalled while her voice was filled with grief.

This time, the 24-year-old grieving mother said that she had to pull her 8-year-old out of mud trenches, after the driver quickly fled the scene without rendering any assistance.

An autopsy conducted on Thursday August 7, 2025, revealed that Sahil suffered from a fractured spine with severance of the spinal cord that led to his death. 

During the incident, emergency services and law enforcement officers quickly got to the ground to lend assistance and conduct investigations. 

Police reports also reveal that the 21-year-old was later arrested after the police officials checked the CCTV footage of the accident which revealed his identity. In his defence, the driver claimed that the child had suddenly run across the road which led to the collision.

Citizens of Guyana have taken to Facebook to express their condolences to the family and condemn the tragic accident done by the reckless driving of the 21-year-old. 

With one user writing, “To the mother , I express my sympathy to you and even the little ones , mom I trust that you will understand what happened to 2 of your sons and pray against the wickedness that claiming the life of your children.”