A 42-year-old mother of five died, while her friend was critically injured yesterday afternoon after a heavily tinted Mercedes Benz jeep crashed into the motorcycle they were on.
The dead woman has been identified as Odessia Sam of Lot 170 Middle Road, La Penitence while the injured man was identified as Wendel Oudkerk Lot 65 Lamaha Springs, Georgetown.
According to the Police, the accident occurred at about 3:20 pm on Mandela Avenue.
The jeep PSS7007, driven by 41-year-old Nadia Mohamed of Houston Gardens, East Bank Deme-rara was proceeding west while the motorcycle CH1099 was heading north along Critchlow Avenue.
The Police said that Oudkerk failed to stop at the junction of Mandela and Critchlow Avenue and proceeded to cross the road. He was reportedly attempting to get onto the northern carriageway using an opening in the median.
Oudkerk’s failure to stop resulted in the collision between his motorcycle and the Jeep owned by businessman Azruddin Mohamed. As a result of the collision, both Oudkerk and Sam were flung from the motorcycle onto the road where they sustained injuries about their bodies.
Oudkerk was picked up in a semi-conscious state by Emergency Medical Technicians, placed into an ambulance and transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital, while Sam was placed into a police vehicle and taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
Oudkerk was treated for head injuries and admitted as a patient of the Intensive Care Unit. He is said to be in a critical condition. Sam’s body is at the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem examination.
The Police said that while Oudkerk was wearing a helmet, Sam was not. They added that they are unsure if Oudkerk was the holder of a provisional or driver’s license.
Two breathalyzer tests were conducted on the driver of the vehicle and revealed no trace of alcohol. Police also said that a notice of intended prosecution was prepared and served on the driver of the jeep.
Nadia Mohamed remains in custody and is assisting the Police with its investigation.
At the East La Penitence Police Station, the dead woman’s daughter Olinka Sam told Stabroek News that her mother recently started a job as a security guard and was expected to work last night. She said that she had no idea where her mother was headed but acknowledged that Oudkerk is a “close friend” of her mother.
“We are not too sure about what happened but all I know is that I got a call from somebody and they told me that my mother was hit down and she passed away. I rush to the station and then went to the hospital where I was able to identify her body. When I saw her she had no life in her body,” Olinka said.
At the Police Station, Azruddin Mohamed was there where he met with the family of Sam. He said that the driver of the vehicle is his cousin and that she was transporting a child at the time of the accident.
The Police investigation is still ongoing.
