MANDEVILLE, Manchester — A grieving Manchester family is demanding that the police conduct a thorough probe into a crash which claimed the life of a schoolboy last Tuesday on Prospect main road.

Police identified the child as 12-year-old Malique Barnes. However, relatives said he was 11 and attended Bull Savannah Primary School in neighbouring St Elizabeth.

The call by the family came a week after police released the driver of a Toyota Hiace involved in the fatal crash. Barnes was struck from his bicycle by the vehicle.

The driver, who was being questioned up to late last Tuesday, was released after CCTV footage showed that the child rode the bicycle from behind a parked truck into the path of the Hiace. The matter has since been sent to the Coroner’s Court for a ruling.

However, Malique’s aunt, Nadine, said another angle from the CCTV footage showed the point of impact.

“Malique nuh cross the road yet. Me have the video. My nephew never cross the road yet!” she shouted while sitting on the main road where the crash happened.

Other placard-bearing residents, including relatives of the child, joined by sitting on the asphalt surface yelling ‘Justice for Malique!’

A resident questioned the police’s probe into the fatal crash.

“Are the police following the proper procedures?” asked a resident.

“We want the police to come talk to us,” said another resident.

Councillor Omar Robinson (People’s National Party, Alligator Pond Division) is also questioning the police’s investigation and is calling for transparency.

“I am also grieving. He was a young man with so much potential at age 11. The Tuesday evening when this incident occurred my niece, who attends Bull Savannah school, didn’t eat her dinner and she is in grade four. Malique was in grade five, so they shared some kind of social relationship,” said Robinson.

“The whole institution at Bull Savannah, they are mourning. The family is mourning, and today (Monday) hence there is a demonstration in the Prospect area. Their main concern is the handling of this situation. They are not satisfied with how the investigations are going and their input in all of this,” he added.

Robinson said he has been supporting the grieving family and is urging road users to practice safety on the nation’s roads.

“Malique is not here with us and that is very sad. I stand with the family, because we are compassionate. We are there to lend a shoulder in this time of bereavement, but we want everything to be transparent. Whatever is happening here can’t bring back Malique, but let the family at least feel that they are getting some justice,” said Robinson.

“I appeal to all users of this road to be very careful. Speeding could have been one of the main causes. The road code says it all and people are travelling here at some bird speed over 60 [kilometres per hour], 70 km/h, 80 km/h. and it is going to take a cultural shift for all the motorists to understand that we need to respect the rules of the road. Right now a community is in mourning. Let me hope that the authorities do what they have to do and the family will feel justified by their actions,” added Robinson.

A placard-bearing resident protesting along Prospect main road in Manchester on Monday. (Photo: Kasey Williams)

Debris used to block Prospect main road in Manchester on Monday. (Photo: Kasey Williams)

A resident of Prospect in Manchester pointing to where the fatal crash happened. (Photo: Kasey Williams)

Councillor Omar Robinson (People’s National Party, Alligator Pond division) speaking to journalists on Monday.  (Photo: Kasey Williams)

An undated photo of crash victim Malique Barnes.