Sixteen-year-old Anjalie Khemraj who was hospitalised in a critical condition after being struck down by a car at Grass Field, Enmore Access Road on Monday, succumbed to her injuries yesterday afternoon.
An 11-year-old boy who was also hospitalised at the Georgetown Public Hospital following the incident, which occurred on Monday around 7.30 pm, was transferred to the paediatric ward.
Khemraj, the 11-year-old and a 14-year-old were struck down by a car, PAE 3091, reportedly driven by a 20-year-old businessman of Enmore Hope east, East Coast Demerara.
The investigation has so far revealed that the car was proceeding south along the road when the driver allegedly lost control, causing the car to topple and end up in a drain. However, before coming to a stop, the car collided with the trio and an electric cycle. The driver of the car was released on $500,000 station bail on Thursday.
Rishi Persaud, who identified himself as Khemraj’s boyfriend, told Stabroek News that sometime between 6:30 pm and 7 pm on Monday, he, his girlfriend, his best friend, and the 11-year-old boy were at the corner of the road chatting when he saw the driver of the car drag racing his brother, who was driving a bus. According to him, the car overtook the bus then lost control and ran into them. He said he managed to get out of the way, but the others were unable to do so.
“By the time I could tell them move out of the way, the car done reach already. It done run into them. Only me got the chance to move. She ended up beside the drain. The 11-year-old landed in the trench, and the 14-year-old was flung into the neighbour’s gate and ended up on the ground,” he said.
Khemraj’s father, Basant Khemraj of 257 Plantain Walk, Enmore said he received a voice note from his sister and cousin informing him of the incident and immediately rushed to the hospital. He found his daughter on life support and doctors informed him that she had sustained a broken pelvis, a broken foot, and was bleeding in her brain.
Khemraj said heard that the driver would like to settle the matter, but he wanted it to go through the court.
“My daughter was in my care and I always go all out for her. I just want to know the root cause of the story before I take legal action. I don’t want any settlement. I want the matter to go through the court, so the court can make a decision on the matter. I want the driver to be charged for what he did because I understand that a road is being built currently at the back of the scheme, and the two brothers were drag racing when the incident occurred,” the man said.
He noted that his daughter was not living with him but with her boyfriend in the same area.
Meanwhile, Amanda Etwaroo, the mother of the 11-year-old boy, told this newspaper that on the night of the incident, her son was sleepy as they and other family members were returning from Easter activities. She said she asked Persaud, his partner, and the 14-year-old to take her son home as she was going to buy him a Supligen supplement he had asked her for. They went on ahead, she said and she was purchasing the item for her son when she received a phone call from a neighbour informing her of the incident. She said that they were all outside her home on the parapet with the electric bike, waiting for her and other family members to arrive.
The 11-year-old sustained severe head injuries. According to Etwaroo, “he was transferred to the children’s ward but doctors say he is still bleeding in the brain. I don’t know if to say he is stable but I think he is better because he is out of the ICU.”
Deokee Persaud, the mother of the 14-year-old boy who was flung into Etwaroo’s gate, told Stabroek News that her son was discharged from the GPH.
She said she was returning home after celebrating Easter and received a call about 7:15 pm from neighbours informing her that her son was “in an accident and had died”. She rushed to the scene, but he was not there. She was then told by another person that the ambulance and police had taken her son to the GPH. She recounted her relief when she arrived at the emergency unit of the hospital and was told that the doctor was attending to his injuries.
“My son was discharged from the hospital around noon. He had sustained injuries to the left side of his body, including bruises to his arm and face. He can’t walk like he should but he’s trying,” she related.
She said that she is the owner of the electric bike and her son was just using it. She added that at the time of the incident, the bike was parked on the parapet and Khemraj and 11-year-old were sitting on it, while her son was standing next to them.
