— reflect on lives of Mahaicony accident victims

Photos and story by Rabindra Rooplall

EWERT Reynolds, 64, who was killed Wednesday on Fairfield Public Road, Mahaicony East Coast Demerara (ECD) was a father of seven and a passionate gardener who was in the process of relocating when he lost his life.

Reynolds, who was substantively employed as a debt collector by Courts Guyana Limited, died along with four others when the minibus he was travelling in experienced a ‘blow-out’ of the left side rear wheel, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and ‘slam’ into the left front portion of an incoming motor lorry.

The minibus BRR 5478 was driven by Seechan Chandilall of Lot 102 Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice, who died in the crash while the beverage-laden motor lorry GPP 9433 was driven by Sherlon Wills of Lot 30 Helena, Mahaica, ECD.
The others who died were Keon Sealey, 33, of Yorkshire Hall, Mahaicony; Alana Vaughn Kanhai, 30 of Lot 43 Farm, Mahaicony and Maxwell Disreali Thom, 76, of West Coast Berbice.

They were all pronounced dead on arrival at the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital. An autopsy done on the bodies on Thursday indicate that they all died of multiple injuries. The bodies have since been handed over to relatives for burial.
Speaking with Guyana Chronicle, Rubina Taylor, the reputed wife of Ewert Reynolds, said she shared a 40-year relationship with the former soldier, whom she described as always neat in appearance and respectful.

She also noted that Reynolds was business-minded and always helpful to others. On the day he met his demise, he had collected a substantial amount of money from customers for Courts in Berbice. The monies he collected disappeared amid the crowd at the accident scene.

The tearful woman said that her reputed husband was transferred to the Courts Guyana, Mahaica branch two months ago after deciding to leave his Plaisance, ECD home behind.
She pointed to furniture and other items that were brought from her husband’s previous address as he was preparing for a different life with his family in Mahaicony since Wednesday was his last day at work in Georgetown.

“When he was finished doing the company’s business that day, we were supposed to meet him in Plaisance to bring away more stuff and the time he said he would have called passed. When I checked it was after 12:00hrs and I told my son that unto now his father didn’t call and he said daddy must have been busy,” Taylor recalled.
During the day, she said her neighbour’s grandson called her son and asked that he call his father’s cell phone.

“When he called the phone, the phone was off, the phone was not ringing. The neighbour’s grandson then brought his phone to show my son an accident scene down the road and somebody said it was my son’s father that was in the bus. Right away I started to get nervous,” she recalled.

Taylor related that she immediately took a taxi and headed to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital where her worst fears were confirmed.

“They didn’t want me to see him because his body was badly damaged, I wondered if he had time to pray before he died,” the tearful woman said.
Meanwhile, Alana Vaughan Kanhai, a former medic, was eight months pregnant and was studying medicine in her second year at the University of Guyana.
She was also the mother of two daughters, a six-year-old and a two-year-old.
Her Sister-in-law, Thianna Charles told this publication that she spoke to Alana before she left the house and was assisting with dressing her daughters.

“She was leaving to go for a blood test, at the Mahaicony Hospital, then to Highdam Health Centre since she was doing a pregnancy check-up,” Charles said, adding: “We heard about the accident but didn’t know Alana was involved until my mother came in and told us.”
Describing her sister-in-law, Charles said “Alana was intelligent, was very driven, she was hardworking, she was a wonderful mother, a very caring and loving person and she loved to cook. She was also kind and helpful since she was like a community doctor.”
Alana previously worked as a medic at Highdam Health Center but quitted to attend UG.
Her husband, Thadius Kanhai, a prison officer, was lost for words as he described his wife as intelligent and an exceptional mother. Alana was due to give birth on January 6 to their third daughter.

“I was at Camp Street when I received the first call. By the time I reach to Mon Repos, I got another call. The person didn’t had to say anything. By the screams in the background I know that my wife was gone,” Kanhai related.

This newspaper also spoke with Wallie Sealey, 63. She lost her 33-year-old son, Keon Sealey after travelling in the same minibus that claimed her son’s life.
She had exited the minibus at the junction of Farm, Mahaicony, ECD while her son joined the same bus since he lived minutes away from her in Yorkshire Hall, Mahaicony. He was heading to Georgetown when he boarded the minibus.
Sealey, a father of two, worked as an anesthetist at the Mahaicony Hospital.
Wallie, a mother of six children, said she last spoke to her son five days ago.
“He was a wonderful son and he went the extra mile for others, he was caring and was my second child,” she said.

Seechand Lall Chandilall, 48, another victim in the horrific accident, was the driver of the route 50 minibus. He started driving the bus a month ago.
The father of two died instantly in the accident. He was trapped in the vehicle after he crashed head-on into a beverage-laden truck. Reports indicate that he was speeding at the time his left rear wheel tire blew out.

Samantha Jairam, the niece of Chandilall said “this is a very bad time for us and we are so sorry for what happened.”

She said the family learnt about her uncle’s death through media reports.
“We don’t know if he was speeding but if he was then that is bad and we are extremely sorry. We apologise to those injured and those who were killed in the accident,” she said.
At his Bath Settlement, Berbice home, his children and relatives were still in a state of shock.

His sister Nadira Chandilall was crying. She related that Seechand was the third brother she lost.

Others injured in the accident were Angela Jacobs, 15, and David Jacobs, 60, both of Moraikobai, Mahaicony, Region Five; Cecil Gordon, 46, of Farm, Mahaicony, Region Five and Shurland Wills. They were treated at the Mahaicony Hospital before being transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

The driver of the lorry was also taken to Mahaicony Cottage Hospital where he was treated and later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he was admitted. Those admitted to Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation are considered in critical condition.