The police have wrapped up their investigation into the more than one-week-old fatal accident along the Ogle Public Road, East Coast Demerara, which claimed the life of seven-year-old Sunil Sukhnandan and left his sister hospitalised and the file will be sent for legal advice soon.
Contacted for an update on the investigation yesterday, Traffic Chief Linden Isles told Sunday Stabroek that the police are awaiting the report on the autopsy from the pathologist, after which the case file will be dispatched for legal advice, which will determine the way forward.
The accident occurred around 6.30 pm on September 13th, when Sunil and his sister, Venisha Sukhnandan, 17, who were on a bicycle, were struck by a car, which was allegedly speeding.
Sunil was subsequently pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital, where Venisha now remains as an admitted patient. She has since regained consciousness and her condition is said to be improving.
Venisha, who had been towing her brother, suffered several broken bones in addition to severe injuries to her head and neck.
The driver was released on $75,000 station bail just over a week ago, pending further investigations of the accident.
Eyewitnesses have alleged that the car was speeding along the road when the accident occurred. “Just one look at that car and you gon know she was speeding. The whole bonnet bruk up and the windscreen destroy. It look like she hit a cow and it was two children on a bicycle. We went on the road at the time and we didn’t see the accident but we hear the loud noise and I turn round and think to me self that somebody had to dead with that accident,” one person at the scene related.
Sohan Sukhnandan, the father of the children, had previously related to this newspaper that the driver had offered the family $1 million as compensation.
However, yesterday he maintained that he is not accepting the money. “You see them [the driver] come to a settlement right but that money can’t help in no way fuh when she [Venisha] come out of hospital to buy whatever she need and take care ah she,” he said.
Can’t remember
Sohan noted that Venisha cannot recall what took place on the night of the accident.
“She [Venisha] ain’t know nothing. She ain’t know nothing because me been ah ask she. She can’t remember wah happen. She nah even know how she end up ah hospital,” he said.
Meanwhile, Radika Narine, the mother of the children, said the family is trying to obtain a lawyer to advise them how to proceed.
“The people them [the driver’s family] want to pay the $1 million but me trying fah tek a lawyer to do something, to get something more because one die and nobody nah guh give me back that one and then she [Venisha] deh the hospital, I don’t know how she gun come out. I mean… I don’t know how she gun walk when she come out,” Radika explained, while noting that she has been told that Venisha also suffered significant injuries to her hips.
Narine further explained that when she visited her daughter at the hospital yesterday afternoon, she learnt that she had to undergo another surgery to her leg.
The woman added that while the girl’s condition seems to be improving slowly, she is experiencing a lot of pain.
Both parents are worried about the condition that Venisha will be left in when she is eventually discharged from the hospital.
Sunil and Radika, live in a small shack at Ogle North with their seven children, who range in age from 7 to 18 years. Anyone wishing to assist the family can call 672-6196 or 604 4046.
