27-year-old Hotel Manager O’Neil King, who 10 years ago survived a police shooting, died on Sunday morning in the Intensive Care Unit of the Georgetown Hospital following a car accident.
Reports are that on Friday, King was driving home from the Princess Hotel where he worked, when he lost control of the car and crashed on the East Bank of Demerara in the McDoom area. He was rushed to the Georgetown Hospital where he was being closely monitored up to the time of his death.
The young man’s mother said he was conscious on Saturday and was explaining to them that his car was “hit by something”. She said he was still in a hysterical state, so she tried not to get him to do too much talking at the time.
Late Saturday night, he was removed from the High Dependency Unit to the Intensive Care Unit after his heart rate started to decline. He suffered a number of broken bones and Doctors suspected internal injuries and bleeding.
10 years ago, the young man survived a police shooting that took the life of his friend Yohance Douglas. The two and three other friends were returning home from an early morning game of basketball when a police patrol opened fire on the vehicle killing Douglas on the spot and injuring King and the other youths. That case was thrown into the national spotlight as it highlighted police excesses and extra judicial killings.
O’Neil King would later move on to continue his studies at the University of Guyana and he eventually migrated to take up a job aboard Caribbean Cruise lines where he worked in a senior position. He would return to Guyana almost annually while he worked aboard the cruise ship. He moved back to Guyana recently and began working at the Princess Hotel as a Manager.
Family and friends are remembering him as a smart, vibrant and caring young man who always had a smile on his face and pleasant words to offer. He was a basketball enthusiast who followed local and international tournaments closely.
His death sent friends rushing to his Facebook page to offer their sympathy. He was the father of a 4 year old boy.
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