Senior Reporter
kevon.felmine@guardian.co.tt
As members of the Prison Service recalled the diligence of their fallen comrade Mahendra Ramdial, Deputy Commissioner of Prisons Carlos Corraspe said yesterday they are prepared to nominate him for a posthumous national award on account of his bravery.
Ramdial, 27, died along the Solomon Hochoy Highway, Freeport, last Sunday after being hit by a vehicle as he attempted to assist occupants of another vehicle that had crashed into the median.
A police report stated Ramdial parked his car on the shoulder, and as he began crossing the highway, a Mazda BT50 pickup slammed into him, throwing him approximately 200 metres away.
The 47-year-old driver of the pickup told police he lost control after hitting a bumper and rim on the road from the previous accident.
It was just last August that Ramdial married his wife, Samantha.
Speaking at Ramdial’s funeral at the house of mourning in Couva yesterday, Corraspe said the junior prison officer had completed his night shift last Sunday and, despite being tired, stopped to assist the accident victim.
He said while all prison officers are heroes because of their job, Ramdial was exceptional.
Corasspe said many citizens, placed in those circumstances, would not have been able to act like Ramdial did.
“We will mourn his death and continue to remember him for who he was. When we look at the issue of the national awards, from a Prison Service standpoint, we will be prepared to nominate Ramdial for this act of heroism in a time in this country when such acts are not forthcoming,” Corasspe said.
Prison officer Mahendra Ramdial, who was killed while trying to assist someone on the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway in Freeport.
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He said the Prison Service stood ready to assist the family in whatever way possible, as the memories of Ramdial will stay with them.
Assistant Superintendent Ted Victor, who worked with Ramdial during his five-year tenure at the Maximum Security Prison, said they developed a good working relationship.
Victor said Ramdial was someone he admired within the service and added that a prison officer’s death under such circumstances was hard to accept.
“We are shocked, astonished, in disbelief at the tragedy that took our beloved Ramdial from us. No amount of tears can bring our brother back to life. But God is a final judge for all unjust deeds. As we seek to make sense of it, to understand the reason it happened, it is imperative that we express our sadness and acknowledge our loss.”
Ramdial enlisted in the service on November 1, 2019, at the age of 22. Victor said it was an age when most men were undecided about their future plans and just went with the flow.
However, Ramdial was confident of wanting to serve others and laid a foundation for himself and his family.
Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh said in spite of the tragic way Ramdial died, people should strive to be a good Samaritan and citizens. Indarsingh said everyone has a duty to remove hazards on the roadway when they see them because they may save a life.
Friends and family of Prison Officer Mahendra Brandon Ramdial say their final goodbye during the funeral service at his home at Balmain Village, Couva yesterday.
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He appealed to firefighters and police officers that when they reach an accident site they should secure it by removing debris from the road to save more lives in the future.
“I am not here to blame, but I have to appeal because I am a driver on the road, like all drivers, and from time to time, I have not stopped on the highway, but I have seen whether it is fallen bricks, it is containers, it is debris thrown about on secondary roads and so on from accidents. I have stopped my vehicle to remove debris, things that have fallen off from moving vehicles.”
Indarsingh said Ramdial was a model citizen and told the Prison Service hierarchy to continue to support Ramdial’s young wife.
Deputy Commissioner of Prisons Carlos Corraspe speaks with Samantha Ramdial, wife of Mahendra Brandon Ramdial, during the funeral service at his home at Balmain Village, Couva yesterday.
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