Twenty-one-year-old Govindra Daljir spent Christmas Day distributing toys to needy children in Bejucal, his neighbourhood, but while heading home just after dark, he lost control of his van and crashed into an oncoming car, killing himself and an innocent woman upon impact. Also dead in a separate incident was 34-year-old deaf/mute Ravi Ramroop, who succumbed to massive head and internal injuries after being hit by a white pick-up at Rochard Road, Barrackpore, on Christmas Day.
The deaths of Daljir, Ramroop and Jane Rampersad-Reichel, 49, of Pro Queen Street, Arima, brought to eight, the number of people killed in vehicular accidents over the past two days. On Christmas Eve, four Guyanese nationals-Redison Roberts, 38, his wife Indrani Roberts, 28, Wrenson Lewis, 34, his Trinidadian wife Melissa Watteron-Lewis, 24, and their two-year-old daughter Renesha died when their car ran off the road.
In the latest incident, Daljir, 21, a clerk of Warren Road, Bujucal, was driving his red Nissan pick-up north along the Uriah Butler highway, when upon reaching the vicinity of the Divali Nagar site, he lost control of the van. Witnesses told police that they saw the van careening off the right lane before it crossed the median and slammed into a Cifero, heading south. The Cifero was driven by Dale Reichel, 44, of Fifth Avenue, Maharaj Lands, Marabella. His front seat passenger Jane Rampersad-Reichel was flung out of the car upon impact. Reichel's 11-year-old son Kyle, who was sitting in the back seat, also suffered injuries and had to be rescued from the mangled wreck of the car.
Daljir, however, died on the spot. His body was viewed by District Medical Officer Dr Dale Sookdeo, who ordered it removed to the Forensic Sciences Centre. Reichel, Rampersad-Reichel and Kyle were taken to the Chaguanas Health Facility where Rampersad-Reichel was pronounced dead on arrival. Kyle and his father were transferred to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex where they both remained warded in a stable condition.
A team of officers, led by Cpl Guerra, visited the scene and regulated the traffic flow. Meanwhile, Daljir's relative, Aviann Ramkumar, said Daljir was returning home when tragedy struck. She said Daljir spent the day with parents, distributing gifts to children from the community. She added that Daljir, then went to Couva to drop off a gift for his girlfriend. He was heading back home when he lost control of the van. Daljir worked as a clerk at the Licensing Office in Port of Spain. Meanwhile, relatives of Ramroop called on the police to give them justice after he, too, was killed by a van, while walking along Rochard Road, Barrackpore.
Police said around 6.30 pm, a 36-year-old man was driving his white Mazda van along Rochard Road when Ramroop, 34, of Digity Trace, Barrackpore, jumped out of some bushes and came into contact with the van. The driver told police he was unable to prevent the impact which killed Ramroop. But Ramroop's brother-in-law Mohan Roopchand denied the report. He said Ramroop walking on the side of the road, on his way to see his sister, when the white Mazda pick-up slammed into him, killing him on the spot. Mohan called on the police to do a thorough investigation, saying they wanted justice for the death.PC Sieunarine of the Barrackpore Police Station is continuing investigations.