– in road accident at Diamond
TRAGEDY struck on the Diamond New Scheme Public Road shortly after 22:00 hrs on Good Friday, when a 27-year-old mother of one, returning home from a Chinese Restaurant, was killed by a speeding Toyota 212 motor car.
Dead is Ramona Harris of 549 11th Street, Diamond New Scheme, East Bank Demerara, who, at the time of her death, was a waitress at Hotel Tower, Main Street Georgetown.

Harris, who had worked the 06:00 hrs – 14:00 hrs shift during the day, returned home on Friday night, and spent some time playing with her 14 months old daughter, but later decided that she’d take a walk to the newly opened “Wonderful Chinese Restaurant” about a block away from home, since she felt like eating Chinese chowmein, her grieving sisters told the Chronicle.

Residents related that, shortly after Harris left the restaurant and was walking east along the Diamond highway, they heard a loud impact and thought it to have been a horse struck down by a speeding motor car.

However, some young men in a nearby shop, including Harris’ younger brother, Oswald, were among the first to reach the scene, and found that it was a woman who was struck down and not a horse.

Oswald said at first sight, he realized that the woman was in great danger, since her body was badly mangled.  The crown of her head was burst open; there was a gaping gash across her neck; and both feet were broken with tissue protruding from the vicinity of the back of the ankles. She was lying face down and her hair was partially covering her face, and was also in her mouth.

“From the impact I heard, I said, this man had to knock this girl really hard,” he recounted, adding that she was hit from behind.  From all appearances, she was slammed into a nearby lamp post at the junction.
Oswald recalled that he did not initially see the person’s face, but assisted by directing the first aid operations civic-minded persons were in the process of applying.

“Then when they turned her over, I said, this girl looks like someone I know, but it was not until I put my cycle down and went closer to her that I realized that she was looking like my own sister.”

Oswald recalled that he immediately got ‘goose pimples’.
Shocked out of his wits, Oswald said he hastened home and immediately enquired where Ramona was.  On being told that she had gone to the nearby restaurant, he said he broke the tragic news that a woman was just struck down at the head of their street, which was a short distance away from the restaurant.

There was hysteria when the family raced out to the scene.  He said that with each passing moment, his sister’s condition worsened, and even though the police arrived quickly on the scene, it was not until a passer-by driving a jeep offered to take her, that she was removed to the nearby Diamond hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Meanwhile, others at the scene said from all appearances, the driver of the motor vehicle was under the influence of alcohol, since he almost ran into the trench after hitting Harris.

On realizing that he had hit someone, instead of stopping, the motorist sped away.  However, fragments of his licence number plate were recovered by the police, and they were able to ascertain the vehicle number.

Ramona was the third of four siblings to their parents, Gordon and Theresa Harris.  At the time of the accident, her mother was at Linden and other siblings had to go get her.

She became inconsolable when she arrived home and received the news.

At the Tower Hotel where Harris worked, the mood was somber and many of her colleagues broke down.

Manager Roy Harry, who tried hard to remain composed, recalled that even though Harris has only worked at the hotel for the last four months, she had become an integral part of the Tower Hotel family.

He described her as an outstanding worker, with a great punctuality record, and one who had respect for organisational rules.

A Post mortem examination is to be performed later this week.