Three struck down by racing drunk driver at Enmore Grassfield, ECD

April 3, 2024 I Guyana Uncut News | Georgetown, Guyana

Three teens were struck down allegedly by a drunk driver who was racing a minibus, which was reportedly being driven by his 15-year-old cousin on Easter Monday.

The three victims have been identified as 17-year-old Anjalie Khemraj, 14-year-old Krishna Samaroo, and 11-year-old Reece Persaud, all of Enmore Grassfield, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

The driver of the motorcar bearing registration number PAE 3091 that was involved in the accident has been identified as Akash Narine, who also resides at Enmore Grassfield, ECD (a few houses away from where the victim’s residence is and where the accident occurred).

According to eyewitnesses, the accident occurred between 19:00 and 19:30 hours at Enmore, Grassfield.

Reports are that Khemraj, Samaroo, and Persaud had just returned home after kite flying and were sitting on an electric bike in front of their home when the black Totoya Fielder Wagon crashed into them.

Narine’s girlfriend and mother were in his car when the accident occurred, the eyewitness said. After the accident, police and an ambulance were summoned, and the three teens were picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and admitted.

The driver of the motorcar was arrested.When the news visited Khemraj’s relatives home on Tuesday at 12 Street Foulis, ECD, her mother and grandmother disclosed that the 17-year-old resided with her in-laws at Enmore, Grassfield.

Amrita, the mother of the girl, while in tears, said: “I need justice for my daughter. I heard that she got knocked down like 1 o’clock, I didn’t go to the hospital at the same time. I go this (Tuesday) morning, when I go I reach she pon emergency bed lay down. I called for her, and she is not responding, I hold she and she is not responding. I need justice, and I want my daughter to feel good.”

Meanwhile, Khemraj’s grandmother, Selochanie, disclosed that doctors said the teen was in a very critical state. She is currently in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the GPHC.

“When me go the hospital me see she deh very critical and me a pray to God and me ah ask for justice, that is all me can say because me nah know nothing concerning the accident. The doctor said she can stay and she can go, meaning she can pass. We just have to hope and pray for she, that them ah try them best because she get head injury, she pelvic break, one of she foot break, and stuff like tha,” Selochanie divulged.

Deokie Devi Persaud and Devika Etwaroo, the parents of Persaud and Samaroo, also spoke to the news.

Etwaroo said her 11-year-old son is also in a critical state. He sustained serious injuries and was admitted as a patient in the ICU at the GPHC.

“When I got to the hospital, he can’t move or talk. But when I call out to him and talk to him, he sqeezes my hand. I am currently waiting for doctors to tell me what exactly happened to him,” Etwaroo said.

Persaud disclosed that her 14-year-old son received minor injuries and was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday.

Further, another eyewitness told the news that he was sitting on the opposite side of the road when the accident occurred.

The eyewitness who asked to remain anonymous said: “The speed me see this car and bus racing coming with I seh is dead me dead, because I was sitting on the road in the corner opposite the children, next to the truck. While this bus and car was racing coming out from the backdam, the bus pulled back and the car continued to proceed with a speed but like when he realized this truck parked here he tried to swerved to avoid crashing into the truck and he end up and crash into the children. After he crashed into the children, they pitched in all directions, and the car ended up in the fence. The boy lives about five houses away from where this accident happened. His mother and girlfriend were in the car, and he was drunk. His mother, as an adult, sat down in that car and allowed him to do what he did.”

The man further disclosed that Narine and his brother operate a bodywork shop at their home and that the bus at the time was being driven by Narine’s 15-year-old cousin. The bus reportedly belongs to one of their customers.

“This bai (Narine) and his brother operate a bodywork shop at their home. So after the accident happened, the 15-year-old that was driving the bus drive and go straight home with the bus. He didn’t stop at the scene. So when he pulled up home by them, he (the 15-year-old) came out of the bus, and the driver brother drove the bus and came down back at the scene he alone. Them swap and think nobody saw what happened, but we did. So when he brother come back at the scene with the bus people who recognize the bus apparently called the owner of the bus and the owner came at the scene and started to get on bad and he collected the bus and carried it away. The mam had carried his bus by them workshop to repair, but they took the man bus and did their own thing,” the eyewitness further said.