In the wake of an accident on Saturday which claimed two lives, some residents of Canal No.2, West Bank Demerara, say they are concerned about trailers being parked on the shoulders of the Canal access road.
They said that the trailers are being parked on the corner of the road with no reflectors on which makes it difficult for drivers to be able to see them. On the other hand, other residents blamed drivers for the accidents. They said that the trailers are parked at the corner of the road and a safe driver should not be colliding with them.
“It’s just carelessness, the trailers are parked on the corner of the road. It’s just a lame excuse for reckless driving. There are times when the trailers are parked on the road, but that is usually for a brief time, when the trailers are being used,” Singh (only name given), said.
While a lot of the accidents are not fatal, according to residents of Canal No.2, on December 28, two friends, Roy Boodram, 22, of 50 Alliance, Canal No.2 and Shameer Haniff, 19, of Little Diamond, East Bank Demerara died after the car they were in collided head-on with a parked low-bed trailer.
Haniff, a former employee at BK International, had two months prior to his death, decided to become a taxi driver. On the night of the accident, according to his sister, Najjadia Muslim, he dropped a customer off in Canal No.2 and on his way out he decided to collect his friend, Boodram.
Boodram was driving the motor car, PPP 6627 at the time of the accident.
When Stabroek News visited Haniff’s home, his mother Bibi Shifan, wept uncontrollably as she held on to his picture. “Mommy nah ready fuh send you home. Come back nah son, come back,” Shifan cried.
Muslim added that her brother will be greatly missed and described him as the light of the home who was deeply loved by everyone.
Boodram, according to his sister Sandy Boodram, has been away from the family for at least the past two years. She added that Boodram had moved out of the family home in 2011 to live by himself. During this period, Boodram’s sister said he was accused of sexual assault. The matter, she added, was taken to court, which led to Boodram subsequently fleeing the area and moving to the interior where he worked as a miner. At the time of the accident, family members said that they were not aware he had come out of the interior.
Police Officer in charge of the West Demerara jurisdiction, Lansdale Withrite, said that investigations are being carried out into the matter and added that it was not yet determined whether the owner of the trailer would be charged in relation to the accident.
