By Clifford Stanley
A seven-year-old pupil of the Lachmansingh Primary School at Bush Lot Village, West Coast Berbice, died on Wednesday afternoon when a speeding car careened into a crowd of pupils and parents standing along the roadway.

Nifram Nezamodeen of Bush Lot Village was flung into a trench on being hit by the car and his unconscious body had to be retrieved after a frantic search. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Fort Wellington Hospital. His mother, Ameera Dinaram, aged 25, who was holding his hand at the time of the collision, received head injuries and had to be rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) after receiving treatment at Fort Wellington.

Transferred to the GPHC also were the dead boy’s sister, Asriya Nezamodeen, aged 8, and another resident of Bush Lot, Parvattie Kooblall, 45. Kooblall’s  daughter, Tahela Kooblall, aged 8, and  another child, Ayanna Arokium, also aged 8, were, up to last night, patients at the Fort Wellington Hospital under observation. The children are all pupils of the Lachmansingh Primary and were picked up and being escorted home by the adults. They were standing alongside the road waiting to cross at the time of the accident.

An eyewitness said that he saw the vehicle heading east at a fast rate of speed but on the southern side of the road. “The driver made a sudden turn back to the correct lane on the northern side of the road and he lost control,” the eyewitness said. There was near chaos in the aftermath of the accident as people rushed to assist the injured.

It was then discovered that the seven-year-old, who had taken the brunt of the impact, had been flung into a road side drain. Searchers retrieved his limp and unconscious body. The large crowd at the hospital included officials of the Education Department of the Region and senior officials of the Administration including the Regional Executive Officer, Ovid Morrison.

Education officials said that the Welfare Department will visit the Primary School today to offer counselling services to the classmates of the dead pupil of the school and see what other assistance can be given. The driver of the motor car, who was said to be the sole occupant of the vehicle, is currently in police custody assisting with investigations into the fatal mishap.