Two ten-year-old cousins of Angoy’s Avenue are currently recuperating from injuries sustained after being struck down yesterday by a speeding, reversing car.
Christopher Abrams and Raheem De’ Mendonca, both students of New Amsterdam Primary, were on their way to school on a bicycle around 08:30 hrs, when the accident occurred.
According to eyewitnesses, two men, who appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, exited a house at Shoe Lane east, New Amsterdam, entered a white Allion PMM 1263 and reversed out of the street at a fast rate.
The car swerved into the path of the boys, hitting them. Abrams was pitched into the air and De’ Mendonca was partially pinned under the car. Neither of the boys appeared to have sustained life-threatening injuries.
Residents in the area and public-spirited persons rescued the boys and took them to the New Amsterdam Hospital after the driver and other occupant of the car failed to render assistance.
Abrams who sustained scratches and bruises about his body was treated at the Emergency Unit and sent home. His cousin, who sustained a cut over his left eye which was dressed by nurses, was kept for observation and x-rayed after crying out for pain in his arms and legs.
Jillian Brown, De’ Mendonca’s grandmother was a few feet away from her grandson when the accident occurred and watched helplessly as the car reversed into the boys. She explained that as the cousins left for school she was headed to the market. “Chris was towing Raheem and the car reverse and hit them. I started shouting and screaming….he [Raheem] was halfway under the car,” the distraught grandmother said.
Meanwhile, outraged residents and bystanders condemned the recklessness of the driver. “They ain’t even stop and shout a car to come carry the children them,” an angry neighbour, Joanie Samaroo, who witnessed the accident from her front yard, bemoaned. “People in this street had to beg cars to stop to carry the children to the hospital and that is wrong! 100%.”
Enraged, she said, “we need to do better than that… mothers in this town need to hold hands and stand up out in the road and protest against the young drivers that behaving like this!”
Another resident, Joetis Jaggernauth said he was on his steps when he saw the car reversing. “It tek off in reverse in full speed and knack dem children…
Jaggernauth said the accident could not have been avoided. “If you deh so speed and reverse in a vehicle, you can’t avoid it.”
Visibly distressed, Jaggernauth pointed to where the boys were hit, saying, “look wha he do. He went pun dis side of de road and end up till over de other side.”
The driver and the other occupant of the car have been taken into police custody and are assisting with investigations.
