Mahendra Maharaj, left, his son Darshan, who survived the accident, and wife Mala, at the shrine dedicated to the memory of Pundit Sachin Maharaj and four other accident victims, on the Mosquito Creek, yesterday. Photo: Rishi Ragoonath

Survivors and relatives of five young men who lost their lives in the August 16 accident on Mosquito Creek returned to the site yesterday to launch a campaign against dangerous driving. Led by Pundit Daneshwar Maharaj, the group remembered the victims—Rajkumar Deonarine,15; Rishi Ramlochan, 22; Rajesh Ramnarine, 37; Sachin Singh,12; and Sachin Maharaj, nine. They also gave thanks for those who survived the accident and asked God for strength for the grieving family. A few miles away, Balton Banwell, the driver of the truck which crashed into the vehicle in which the victims were occupants, was making another appearance in the Siparia Magistrates’ Court on charges stemming from the accident.

The group, operating under the banner Citizens Against Dangerous Driving, erected a shrine in memory of the victims. One of the survivors, Mahendra Maharaj, said they chose to launch their campaign with prayers, “because it is prayers which have us here today. “This is the beginning of a journey to wake up the nation about their rogue attitude on the road,” he said. Maharaj and his son Darshan, four, survived the fatal crash. They were on their way to watch the Balls of Fire cricket match at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain. Maharaj has titanium plates implanted in his face and was surviving on liquids because he cannot chew, as most of the bones on his face were damaged. He said his son had` moved from being a healthy, active child, to being in a semi-vegetative state due to brain damage.

Extensive care was being administered in an attempt to reverse his condition, he said. “These five young men died for a reason and we want to bring justice not only for the families of these victims, but to all citizens in Trinidad and Tobago who suffered similar fate,” Maharaj said. Former Chaguanas mayor Surujrattan Rambachan, who joined with the group in their campaign, accused the Government of “playing the fool” with the breathalyser. He said until this law was implemented, the road carnage would not end. While being interviewed, Rambachan remarked on the speeding trucks which passed by. He also called for some kind of mechanism to monitor truck drivers, ensuring that they did not spend long hours behind the wheel. He recommended defensive driving for them on an annual basis. He said he was tired of people boasting about getting their vehicles passed without going to the licensing authority and called on the Government to investigate if there was some collusion taking place there.