Three families had a rude and shocking early morning awakening yesterday around 5 am when someone drove a car into their yard at Lot 2 Industry Railway Line, East Coast Demerara, bulldozing their picket fence, damaging a grocery shop and disappearing.
Moments after a loud explosion was heard outside their homes, Grace Kanhai, her sister and the shop owner Shellon woke up to the discovery of a parked Toyota Runx bearing registration number, PLL 7179, in their yard with no driver. The three women live in separate houses in the same yard.
The vehicle apparently ran off the road and ended up in the yard after it destroyed the fence, the grocery shop and some items inside including a refrigerator, and the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) meters of the Kanhai sisters. Damage to the fence was estimated at about $100,000 while Shellon stated that her losses were close to $900,000.
When Stabroek News arrived at the scene, the families were trying to fix the damage that was done to the fence and shop but the police had already removed the car. Burst wires from the meters were also lying on the road awaiting removal by GPL personnel.
Grace said they informed GPL about the incident from the time it occurred; no one had responded to the scene up to midday yesterday.
The families are contemplating who will refund them for their losses since the owner of the car fled. Shellon stated that she has to repair her shop, which is located below her house, by the end of the day because it is the only source of income for her and her six children. Recounting the incident to this newspaper, Shellon stated that she and her children were asleep when she heard a loud sound. She said, “my children wake up screaming ‘mommy! Mommy! people come fuh kill we like how they come fuh kill we father’ and I said don’t cry leh I see is wah happen.”
The woman said when she peeped outside her window she saw a large crowd outside her business place saying that a car had run into the shop.
Shellon said she went to her shop and found the car neatly parked inside.
“Who gone help me now? she queried. “Cause the driver run away and the car gone station. Somebody gah help me build up this place cause is six children I gat and the whole shop damage.” The children’s father was shot dead by gunmen a few years ago leaving Shellon to provide for them.
The families however stated that they are thankful that the car did not go further into the yard because it would have damaged their homes as well.
Grace said she too heard a noise and when she opened her eyes she saw a bright light. She said “when we come out we ain’t see nobody just a car and everywhere break in. We trying to rectify it cause you can’t left it just so. All me panel box and meter break up and I ain’t gah light so I ain’t no if me fridge working.”
The woman said her room is close to where the car hit but fortunately it missed it because she would have been dead if it had hit her bedroom wall.
