THREE persons have died and another three, including a six-year-old, have serious injuries, after a motor car driver lost control of his vehicle on the Fort Wellington Public Road, West Coast Berbice, early Monday morning.

The dead persons have been identified as driver of the ill-fated vehicle, Carlos Edwards Jr, 23, of Lot 39 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Berbice; Shabana Latif, 36, of Brothers Village, East Bank Berbice and former police officer, Hookumchand Parmanand, 59, an overseas-based Guyanese and formerly of Number 36 Village.

The injured were identified as Lakeram Mangal, 57, of Angoy’s Avenue; Joyclyn Cole, 27, and her six-month-old child, Carolyn Edwards.

According to reports, the accident occurred around 05:00 hrs while Edwards was transporting passengers from Berbice to Georgetown. Among the passengers were Edward’s child-mother and his infant daughter.

According to the police, motor car #HC6077 was proceeding west along the southern side of Fort Wellington Public Road at a fast rate and while negotiating a left bend in the road during a heavy downpour, the driver lost control of the vehicle, collided into a GECOM concrete and mesh fence, then ploughed into a GTT lamp pole before finally turning turtle in a drain on the said southern side of the road.

The driver and passengers of the motor car received injuries about their bodies and were taken to the Fort Wellington Public Hospital, where Parmanand, Edwards Jr., and Latif were pronounced dead on arrival. The three injured passengers were initially treated at the Fort Wellington Hospital before they were transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital.

Mangal, who suffered head injuries, was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

The families and relatives of those involved in the accident are in a state of agony and disbelief.

At the home of Latif, neighbours and relatives gathered as they mourned her passing. Her husband, Ramsammy Kisten, 32, who identified her body at the Bailey’s Funeral Home, was in a sorrowful state.

Latif, a mother of four was on her way to the Georgetown Public Hospital to take food and other necessities for her 19-year-old who is hospitalised for the past week after falling off of his motorcycle.

“She does gotta go every morning to feed him and stuff. I carry her to the park and we waited until ah see a car come, he pulled up and she went in and the next big man from Angoys Avenue was at the park too and he went in the same car.”

Kisten recalled dropping her off by the New Amsterdam Park at around 04:30 hrs and specifically cautioning the driver to take good care of his wife, and wished her a safe journey unknowing it was their final goodbye.

NEVER EXPECTED
“We were living good, had no problems and this just shock me. I never expect to hear this,” he said as tears streamed down his face.

Kisten, a hire car driver said he received the news of the accident at around 09:00 hrs.
His wife, he said would leave early in the mornings and return by 16:00 hrs, after taking care of her son’s breakfast and lunch.

“We say weekend we would go with we own car cause the passage high to travel up with everyday with it but she didn’t have to problem to catch transportation by now she would ah done come home. I never expect this,” he said. Latif was described as a caring and joyful individual.

She and her husband had only recently constructed their house. They have been together for 10 years.

Meanwhile, when the Guyana Chronicle visited the home of Parmanand, his wife and son had left for another relative’s home.

However, residents described him as a humble, fair and easy-going individual.

When contacted via telephone, his wife Oma Parmanand was crying inconsolably but still managed to call on the authorities to implement more strict penalties for speeding.

“Oh my God! Them need to do something about this speeding. Them leff the man, nah go back home. This is very hurtful,” she cried.

Parmanand was scheduled to return to the United States on Thursday and would have celebrated his 60th birthday today (Tuesday). His relatives were planning to surprise him with a birthday celebration.

The family members of Edwards Jr. were in a state of shock and was unable speak with the media.
At the home of Mangal, his son Lalchand Mangal, 31, said he received a call from the hospital informing him of the accident.
He said he was able to speak with him briefly in the hospital and noticed his head was bandaged. His father was heading to the Ogle Airport to board a flight to the interior where he was due to return to work.
“At around 04:00 hrs, I drop he by the gas station and when I get call later I was just shocked. He was off working for a good while and he recently get a call back to go in,” Lalchand said.

An investigation into the accident is ongoing.