Three persons died yesterday after the car in which they were travelling crashed into a fence, then a utility pole and turned turtle along the Fort Wellington Public Road, West Berbice.
The 4.30 am tragedy claimed the lives of hire car driver Carlos Edwards Jr, 23, of Number 39 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam; former Police Sergeant, Hookumchand Permanand, 59, an overseas-based Guyanese of Number 36 Village, Corentyne and Shabana Latiff, 36, of Brothers Village, East Bank Berbice.
Injured as a result of the accident are Edwards’ wife, Joyclyn Cole, 27, and their six-month-old baby, Carolyn Edwards, along with Lakeram Mangal, 57, of Lot 696 Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam.
The Guyana Police Force in a statement yesterday said that Edwards was driving motorcar, HC 6077, west along the southern side of the Fort Wellington Public Road at a fast rate. “While negotiating a left bend in the road – during rains – he suddenly lost control of the vehicle and collided into GECOM’s concrete and mesh fence before ploughing into a GTT lamp pole and then finally turning turtle in a drain on the said southern side of the road.”
The five adult occupants and baby were rushed to the Fort Wellington Public Hospital where the three were pronounced dead on arrival, while the injured were transferred to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital.
Mangal who sustained lacerations to his head has since been transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where his condition is regarded as critical. Cole’s condition is regarded as stable while Carolyn Edwards’ condition is regarded as critical but stable at the New Amsterdam Public Hospital.
Stabroek News contacted Edwards’ relatives several times yesterday but they declined to speak.
Permanand’s wife, Oma was inconsolable while speaking to Stabroek News. She said that her husband was to celebrate his 60th birthday today.
According to relatives, they had planned a surprise birthday for Permanand who yesterday was en route to Georgetown to complete some paperwork in relation to his work benefits. Stabroek News was told that the now deceased man and his wife recently journeyed to Guyana for their son’s engagement.
His wife yesterday called on police officers to be more vigilant against speeding drivers.
Latif’s husband, Ramsammy Kistin, 32, a hire car driver, explained that one week ago Latif’s eldest son fell from his motorcycle and sustained a neck injury which caused him to be admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
He said Latif was en route to visit her son at the health institution, as she did every day since he was admitted, when the accident occurred. “I carry she to the park and we wait and it had the next big man (Mangal) and then the car man pull up and them go in.”
The distraught man said that he was at work around 9 am when he was informed that his wife was involved in an accident causing him to rush to Fort Wellington Hospital where he eventually identified her body.
The man broke into tears while he said, “We living good you know, we living good, this is stress.”
The man recalled that the last thing he told his wife was “bye” after he requested Edwards to drop her off directly at the hospital’s gate. “He (Edwards) tell me ‘alright, alright’ and I tell she bye bye and she go in the car.”
Kistin said that they are facing some financial difficulties given the situation. “We are poor people, we can’t really afford much. That’s why I tell her let she go alone and then we say weekend we would a go with the car. Last weekend we been with the car and my timing belt cut and thank God we had a mechanic friend up there that help we out.”
Kistin said that his family would be grateful for any sort of support, “We use to live by my old lady and then we build up this lil thing and live here.” Kistin can be contacted on telephone number 627 3530.
Latiff was a mother of four and shared her youngest child with Kistin whom she spent ten years with.
Mangal’s son, Lalchand Mangal stated, that they were informed by the New Amsterdam Public Hospital that their father was injured, “and I left and go see make sure and then I call my wife and mommy.”
According to the son, his father sustained a serious head injury. As of yesterday afternoon the man was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital in a critical condition.
The son said that his father was heading to the Ogle Airport to travel into the interior to work as he would normally do. “I drop he around 4 and I wait and then when they leave I come home”, the son relayed.
Mangal’s wife and another son were preparing to head to Georgetown yesterday afternoon to visit the man. “He talk and so to we but them run some test and they transfer him”, one son said.
