WHILE many were around their families and other relatives as they ushered in Christmas, two families are still in shock at the loss of a loved one and the hospitalisation of another.

The family of Karamchand Khemraj, who would have celebrated his 16th birthday on (Boxing Day), visited his grave and had a chat with the deceased just to clear their minds, since his death has left a void in their hearts.

Father of the deceased, Jaipaul Khemraj, of Lot 35 Annandale West, East Coast Demerara, told the Guyana Chronicle that passing Christmas without his son was not an easy thing for him.

Karamchand, 15 at the time of death, was the sole breadwinner of his family. He worked as a horse-drawn cart operator. The boy was forced into the world of work after his father became ill and blind in one eye. His mother when feeling well works as a domestic help a few days per week.

Jaipaul told the Guyana Chronicle that on his son’s funeral day, his wife was so distraught she fell and injured her head and has not been the same ever since.

He added that his health took a downward turn as well and nothing has been going well for the family since the tragic accident on December 9 on the Annandale Public Road. Karamchand was struck off his bicycle by a speeding driver who fled the scene.

“My son used to work and mind us and with him gone, it has been really difficult for us because he was the sole breadwinner of the household and around this time of the year was his favourite; and being his birthday and all he was always excited about the season,” Jaipaul said.

He related that the Chinese driver who killed his son had approached him for a monetary settlement, but he refused because “money cannot bring back his son.”

The father wants the driver to face the full force of the law.

According to Jaipaul, the man offered him $300,000 for the funeral expenses, but he did not accept it but accepted financial assistance from family and friends.

WANT JUSTICE

“I am a very poor man and I am so confused right now, I do not know what to do; but I am open to advice because I want justice for my son and my family members who are suffering from the loss,” he said.

As for the family of Reaz Shaw, who is still warded at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), this Christmas was a sad occasion for them.

Father of the injured teen, Yacoob Shaw, told the Chronicle that Karamchand who was killed was like a son to him, since he used to frequent his home because his son and him were ‘best friends’ and often spend a lot of time together.

He explained that at this time of the year, had his son been alive, the duo would have been busy because they liked the holidays and with Karamchand’s birthday being on Boxing Day, it would have been a grand feast.

The father, though sad, was happy when two days ago his son who is warded in the Recovery Room of GPHC, opened his eyes but remains in a semi-conscious state.

The 16-year-old suffered severe head injuries and broken limbs after being struck down while he was on the bicycle that was being ridden by Karamchand.

Yacoob told the Chronicle that since the accident, the driver of the bus also approached his family offering financial help, but they refused as they want the matter to be handled by the authorities.

“We are Muslims and do not celebrate Christmas, but we often ‘cook and eat’ like everybody else because of the children, especially Reaz, who likes the holidays and usually visits the mosque often,” Yacoob said.

On December 9, 2018, a speeding minibus struck down the teens who were on a bicycle and the boys were flung across the road by the impact of the hit. The bus did not stop to render assistance to them, but drove away from the scene.

Fortunately, the accident was captured on a surveillance camera from a business place and the footage was handed over to the police and relatives of the boys.

The police in a statement after the incident said they are seeking the public’s assistance to locate a white Toyota Hiace ‘Pitbull’ minibus and its driver who failed to stop after he had struck down the cyclist and pillion rider.

The accident occurred about 18:45hrs on December 9 on the Annandale Public Road, East Coast Demerara. The cyclist Karamchand Khemraj, 15, succumbed to his injuries hours after at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

The pillion rider, Reaz Shaw, 16, is still a patient at the GPHC in critical condition.

The police reported that enquiries have disclosed that the cyclist with pillion rider rode out of a northern access road onto the main road when the minibus which was proceeding east along the northern carriageway collided with the bicycle.

As a result of the impact, the youths were tossed onto the road surface and sustained head injuries, the report said.