Two friends died when their car smashed into a utility pole and then plunged into a canal at Leonora, West Coast Demerara (WCD) on Saturday night.
Deoran Choonilall, 19, and Premanand Ramnarine, 30, both of Back Street, Ruimzeight were pronounced dead on arrival at the Leonora Cottage Hospital, police said. Choonilall’s older brother, Chaitram Choonilall, 20, was also in the car at the time. He sustained minor injuries and was treated and sent away. Saturday’s accident is the latest fatal one on the country’s roadways with several occurring over the past few days.
In a statement, police said that the incident occurred at about 11:30 pm on Saturday. The police said that investigations revealed that Ramnarine was driving his car, PKK 6750, reportedly at a fast rate and lost control of the vehicle which struck a utility pole and turned turtle into the Leonora trench. The men were subsequently pulled out and rushed to the Leonora Cottage Hospital where Ramnarine and Deoran were pronounced dead.
Relatives of the men said yesterday that Ramnarine had attempted to swerve from a black car that had jammed him, when he lost control of his car. The accident occurred at a turn on the highway at Leonora. The men were returning from a wedding at Uitvlugt, when the incident occurred.
Choonilall’s father, Jailall told Stabroek News that his two sons had been at a reunion at Windsor Forest earlier that night when Ramnarine picked them up to go to the wedding. They spent about an hour there before they left to return home. “When they come around the turn, it had a vehicle in front and he (Ramnarine) try to sway from the vehicle”, Jailall said. In doing so, they smashed into the pole and then plunged into the trench. Jailall said that Chaitram managed to get out and pulled out his brother, who was still alive at the time. He said that Chaitram also tried to pull out Ramnarine but was unable to because he was “tied down” by the seatbelt.
Residents, by this time, had congregated at the scene and assisted. They were rushed to the hospital but on the way there, Deoran died. Ramnarine had apparently died on the spot. Jailall said it was only when he was returning home yesterday morning that he heard the news. He said that Deoran had only celebrated his 19th birthday last Friday. He was a student at the Georgetown Technical Institute and was working part-time as a welder at Didco. “He was a very easy-going person”, the grieving father said. He also highlighted his son’s strong Hindu faith. “It had to happen like that”, he said. He said that Chaitram had not wanted to go to the wedding but Deoran had insisted.
Meantime, at Ramnarine’s home, relatives also gathered for a wake. His father, Ramnarine said that he heard about the accident just before midnight on Saturday. He said that the accident occurred when a black car “braced” his son’s car and he tried to avoid it and lost control. He said that his son, who was a goldsmith, had only purchased the car about three or four months back but had learnt to drive several years ago. He said that he had never been involved in any accident before. Ramnarine said that his son also went to the temple and was easy-going. He was engaged to be married but had not set a wedding date. At both homes, which are located just a few lots away from each other; relatives had erected tents in preparation for a wake.
Saturday night’s accident is the latest in a series over the past few days.
A collision between two vehicles early Saturday on the Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara public road left one driver dead and the other injured and a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital. Police said that at about 3:55 am Saturday Ravi Singh, 31, of Montrose, ECD, was driving motor car PLL 9680 when he lost control of the vehicle and collided with motor van PFF 2416 which was proceeding in the opposite direction. Khemraj Singh, 46, of Buxton Sideline Dam, ECD was driving the van. Ravi Singh, who also went by the name Munard Ramsaroop and was called ‘Roger’ or ‘Blacks’, was pronounced dead on arrival at the GPH.
Then last Thursday, on July 29, Malcolm Moore, 75, of #42 Village, West Coast Berbice was on his way home from a funeral when he was struck down on the Catherine Public Road, Mahaicony by a RAV4 driven by a police officer. The man was reportedly about to cross the road at around 7:15 pm when he was hit. He was rushed to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
On July 27, Jim Ryan Williams, 26, of Bendoff, Parika, East Bank Essequibo was found dead on the Amelia’s Ward, Linden Highway. The body of Williams was discovered on the highway at about 3 am that day. The body was lying in the middle of the road with the head crushed, limbs broken and multiple bruises about the body. It was suspected that he was the victim of a hit and run accident.
On July 26, the life of 21-year-old businessman, Shamal Mohammed of Lot 224 Second Street, Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, was snuffed out in an accident on the De Kinderen Public Road at Mahaicony, ECD. According to reports, around 1:30 pm that day, Mohammed and 19-year-old Asif Mohammed (not related), were returning to Berbice where Shamal and his relatives were operating a recreational facility at the Berbice Expo in New Amsterdam. Shamal, who was driving at the time, lost control of the vehicle and collided with a fence. Persons in the area said that the car was travelling at a fast rate when the driver appeared to have lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the fence. A piece of wooden material from the fence pierced Shamal’s left side chest and he reportedly died on the way to the Mahaicony Hospital.
On July 25, 68-year old Bernice Herbert was killed when a car mowed down a group of pedestrians waiting for transportation on La Union Public Road, West Coast Demerara. The driver has since been charged.
On July 24, 18-year old Somall Ram Singh called ‘Satesh’ and ‘Beco’ of Woodley Park, West Berbice, was struck down on the Number 12 Public Road by a motor car as he was cycling along the road. The young man succumbed to his injuries on the spot and his mother has since posited that the driver of the car involved, PLL 7837, was at fault.