No charges laid yet in connection with death of four-year-old

Up to press time on Tuesday, no charges had been laid in connection with the death of four-year-old McKayla Abbott, who was involved in an accident with a minibus, last week.

Superintendent Richard Browne, head of the Eastern Division, told SEARCHLIGHT on Monday that the Georgetown police are still carrying out investigations into the matter.{{more}}

While the police piece their case together, a week after her daughter’s tragic death, Carrol Abbott is also trying to find the pieces to mend her broken heart.

Understandably reluctant to speak about what took place on April 20 in Georgetown, Abbott said she is clinging to the four years of memories she has of her daughter.

“When I speak about it, it hurts inside. It hurts me a lot… Sometimes at three in the morning, I wake up, because I know that was time she used to wake up to use the bathroom,” Abbott said.

The 40-year-old Byera resident said she has been not able to eat much since the incident, because her mind is always on her daughter.

“It is not me alone. The whole village is silent. My daughter was a shining star. She beamed right through the village…,” the mother of three surviving children stated.

According to reports, at about 1:40 p.m. on April 20, McKayla succumbed to injuries at the Georgetown hospital, after being involved in the accident, becoming this country’s 12th road fatality for the year.

The door of the minivan reportedly struck McKayla as the van moved, while she and the conductor were still outside, about to board. It has also been reported that one of the rear wheels of the minivan also rolled over the child after she was struck by the door.

Abbott told SEARCHLIGHT that a post mortem report revealed that McKayla died as a result of head injuries.

“A lot of people saying a lot of things about what happened. I am just leaving it up to God. The van driver still is driving up and down. The police say they can’t take it away like that unless … he goes to court,” Abbott said.

She disclosed that the hardest part of her day now occurs at 3 p.m.

“When I am coming up in the van, I see other children, my heart start to leak out because I think about my child at that time,” Abbott said.

McKayla was a student at the Grace and Truth pre-school in Georgetown.

The funeral service for McKayla will take place this Sunday at the Open Bible Church in Byera.(KW)