(Trinidad Express) Ten years after a crash that killed three boys and two men at Mosquito Creek, South Oropouche, the driver of the truck involved in the tragedy is yet to go on trial.
Three years ago, trucker Balton Barnwell was committed to stand trial on five offences of causing death by dangerous driving on August 15, 2009.
The 79-year-old was granted $100,000 bail on committal and allowed to go home.
The case has slipped from the minds of most, but not to the families of the victims or the people of Fyzabad.
On Sunday, members of the Citizens against Dangerous Driving held an annual Remembrance Day walkathon in Fyzabad. It was attended by the representatives of the MP for Fyzabad, Dr Lackram Bodoe.
The group honoured the memory of Sachin Maharaj, 9, Sachin Singh, 12, Rajkumar Deonarine, 14, Rishi Ramlochan,23, and Rajesh Ramnarine, 38, who died that day.
All five were from Fyzabad.
The group, Citizens Against Dangerous Driving, was formed to advocate and spread awareness about the effects of reckless driving on our roads in the memory of the five.
According to an Express report in 2009, Sachin Maharaj’s father Mahendra said: “It was around 11.30 a.m. We were all (17 people) heading along the Mosquito Creek for the “Balls of Fire’ cricket game in Port of Spain when a truck crashed into us.
“We were in a small maxi. Of all 17 of us, only one suffered minor injuries.
Nobody could possibly imagine the horror that we have all faced on that day and what we still have to deal with. I spent 21 days in the hospital. My other son, Darshan, suffered brain damage. All of our lives were changed.”
Sunday’s walk started at the South Oropouche Community Centre and went through the community of Oropouche, St Johns Trace and ended at the starting point.
Barnwell was charged by Sgt Vijay Ramdhanie and represented by attorney Jagdeo Singh.
His matter proceeded by way of committal with statements from 13 witnesses being tendered by the State.
