A 17-year-old boy became the first road fatality of the year after he was struck down by a vehicle while walking along the Plantain Walk, West Bank Demerara (WBD) public road yesterday.
Dead is Totaram ‘Paul’ Persaud of Coghlan Dam, WBD. The fifth form student of the Stewartville Secondary School was at the time heading to Vreed-en-Hoop after attending Chemistry lessons at the West Demerara Secondary School.
He was at the time walking just behind another student, Cheni Jengu, 16, of Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara, when he was struck from behind by the small motor bus PDD 7198. The impact threw Persaud some distance away and he fell hitting Jengu, who too fell down, though she was not seriously injured.
After lying on the ground for a short while, the body of Persaud was picked up and rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Persaud’s fellow students were present at the hospital after the accident. Cianna Best, a student, told Stabroek News that Persaud and Jengu were walking ahead of them when the incident occurred. She stated that a large crowd quickly gathered but no one made any attempt to pick up Persaud. “No one was picking he up they just left he there”, she stated. She noted that they had just completed Chemistry lessons and said that Persaud was a “very nice” person.
At the hospital, a traumatized Jengu was treated and sent away. She was in tears and friends had to console her.
Shortly after it was disclosed that Persaud was dead, relatives, who had just arrived erupted in wails. At Persaud’s home yesterday, the relatives said that they had no details of the accident and could not speak.
The driver of the vehicle, who, according to reports, was under the influence of alcohol, was taken into police custody.
Last year 206 persons died on the roads and despite a stepped up traffic campaign fatalities continue to occur.
