After being hospitalised for almost one month, Reaz Shaw, the teen who survived last month’s hit-and-run accident along the Annandale, East Coast Demerara (ECD) Public Road has been discharged from hospital but is now confined to bed.
Yacoob Khan, the teen’s father last evening told Stabroek News that he was discharged from the Georgetown Public Hospital yesterday afternoon.
The accident, which occurred on Sunday, December 9, claimed the life of 15-year-old Khemraj, called ‘Ajay,’ a horse cart operator of Lot 44 Annandale West, ECD.
Shaw, a trainee mechanic of Lot 35 Annandale West was critically injured.
He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital and was then moved one week ago to the High Dependency Unit (HDU).
The distressed Yacoob said that Reaz cannot move, speak or eat on his own and has to be fed through a tube. “He deh home but he can’t eat nothing, yuh gah feed am through dah tube…..so he deh home, he nah talk or nothing, he deh in bed,” Yacoob said. He explained that on Monday doctors had requested to meet with him.
During the meeting, he was informed that Reaz would be sent home since if he stays longer in the hospital he can get ‘bed sick’.
“Them (doctors) tell meh fuh carry he home and he will deh among we (family) and so and he should improve. Them seh fah talk to he and put on TV and suh,” Yacoob said.
Yacoob said he was told to return to hospital clinic on January 11 when Reaz will receive therapy.
The man stressed that he cannot work now since he has to care for Reaz who needs ‘round-the- clock’ attention.
He said since his son’s hospitalisation, he has been faced with financial constraints. “Everything is money. Meh had to bring am home yesterday and me had to pay the ambulance $5000,” he said.
At the time of the accident, the police had said that the teenagers had ridden out of a northern access road onto the public road when a white Toyota ‘Pitbull’ minibus, which was proceeding east along the northern carriageway of the said road, collided with the bicycle.
As a result, both teens fell on the roadway and sustained head injuries.
A few days after the accident, a minibus, which is suspected to be the vehicle used in the accident, was impounded after it was found covered in a yard at Mon Repos, ECD.
A woman who occupied the premises, was taken into custody, and she provided the police with an identification and address of a man, suspected to be the driver.
However, the man, who is said to be a Chinese businessman of Vigilance, ECD, is yet to be apprehended. It is suspected that he has fled to neighbouring Suriname. As of yesterday, there was no word from the police about him.
The accident was recorded by nearby surveillance cameras, which showed that the teens were struck from behind.
Attorney James Bond, who is representing the Chinese Association of Guyana, has approached the families, offering a quantity of cash in remorse over the incident, but the money has been refused.
Bond had previously told Stabroek News that the money is not being offered to settle the matter but rather out of remorse.
This, he had also said, would not interfere with the usual investigation of the matter.
Last Saturday, Jaipaul Khemraj, father of the dead teen had expressed frustration at the slow pace at which the matter is being dealt with and had said that he is contemplating settlement, but only if a ‘good’ amount is being offered.
Bond had told this newspaper that the offer remains open and the families are welcome to approach him at any point for further discussion once a decision is made.
“…..The case has no way to go, the man (the driver) is not going to be charged but people are listening to everybody. Everybody becomes an expert in these matters. The offer is always open, they (the families) have my number they could call me, you know, reach out to me and I will communicate back to them,” Bond had said.
He said Khemraj’s family had initially asked for a $10 million settlement but eventually broke it down to $5.5 million.
Attorney Anil Nandlall, who resides in Annandale, had intervened and offered the families pro bono service.
