One of the men involved in Wednesday night’s horrific crash succumbed to his injuries early yesterday morning, while another is in police custody assisting with investigations.
Mahindra Sugrim, 23, of Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara, was driving along the West Bank Road when a speeding white Toyota Tacoma with number plate GRR 4600 crashed head-on into his vehicle, sending it into a nearby trench.
Sugrim was trapped in the vehicle in the trench for about 30 minutes before public-spirited citizens were able to pull him out. He was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospi-tal where he was being treated for several broken bones but subsequently died.
According to Sugrim’s mother, both of his legs, hands, and his shoulder were broken along with several ribs. She said that he arrived at the hospital unconscious and was in the process of being strapped up when he suddenly jumped up and screamed in pain. She said that after he regained consciousness he asked for some water and a short while after he passed away.
Several family members were gathered at Sugrim’s home yesterday to comfort the grieving woman who lost her only son.
“He just finished working on a car and he say he going by his other mechanic friend in La Grange. I don’t know. I just don’t know. He was fasting, so he wasn’t drinking or anything. All he said was that he going to take a little fresh air and go by his friend,” his weeping mother told Stabroek News
yesterday. She said that she received a call around 8 pm on Wednesday informing her that her son had been in a terrible crash and she hurried to the scene.
Describing the state of the vehicle when he arrived on the scene, Sugrim’s father said, “I arrive and I see the vehicle smash up in the trench and I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was severely damaged. The front was smashed in and he was trapped inside.”
He then travelled to the hospital where his son was.
According to reports, two Toyota Tacoma trucks were racing towards Vreed-en-Hoop from the direction of Wales when one of them hit a car, PFF 5740 lost control and then slammed head on into PRR 5229, Sugrim’s vehicle, sending it into a nearby trench.
“When I arrive on scene they didn’t even have a lot of police there. I just notice one of them and when he come he rush to the other truck. He didn’t even check to see if everyone was out of the vehicle that was in the trench,” Sugrim’s father explained to Stabroek News. He said that he and his family are not convinced that the police are taking the matter seriously.
“They had the one girl and the driver of the truck in the hospital with everyone and as soon as he [Sugrim] died they all suddenly disappear,” he said. He related that the woman was conscious and only had minor injuries to her face, but when they questioned whether the police were going to take a statement from her, they received rude responses.
“When I went to the hospital to see my son. My son that was just in a severe accident the police start questioning me about where I get money to buy the car from. Why would they even ask me that? It was like I was in the accident,” Sugrim’s mother said in a flash of anger.
Sugrim’s family said they are aware of who the driver is and they were distraught at not receiving any communication from the police all day yesterday, though they said they had called several times.
Police said in a press release issued yesterday that investigations were being conducted.
According to the release, the motor pickup was proceeding along the roadway allegedly at a fast rate, when the driver lost control of the vehicle and collided with motor car PFF 5740 which was proceeding in the opposite direction and also collided with motor vehicle PRR 5229 which was being driven by Sugrim.
The driver of the motor pickup was treated at the WDRH and sent away and is in police custody assisting with the investigations, the release said.
Meanwhile, a little boy who was a passenger in PFF 5740 and a young woman who was a passenger in GRR 4600 were treated and sent away on Wednesday night.
