The families of the two young men who died in a horrific accident at the Borlam Turn, Corentyne Berbice in Region Six on Tuesday morning are devastated and remain in a state of shock.
Dead are Yujisteer ‘Danny’ Puran, a 26-year-old father of a young girl and 20-year-old taxi driver, Latchman Sukhan of Ankerville, Port Mourant.
The News Room understands that Puran of Crawford Street, Rose Hall Town was a security guard attached to a food court at Albion, Corentyne Berbice while Sukhan operated a wash bay at Whim but also worked for his brother’s taxi service.
Sukhan was the driver of the red Nissan Blue-Bird car (PSS 1682) involved in the accident. An eyewitness told the News Room that Sukhan and another car – a Toyota Fielder Wagon – were speeding at the time when Sukhan lost control, spun several times and slammed head-on into a paddy truck (GZZ 4440) at about 03:00hrs.
It is alleged that Sukhan’s brother was the driver of the Fielder Wagon.
For the Sukhan’s family, the news of his death is heartbreaking. It was only about three months ago that Sukhan’s father died from COVID-19.
When the News Room visited his Ankerville home, the mood was sombre and his grandmother Kowsila Sukhan was still coming to grips with the devastating news. She explained that Sukhan used his father’s car to work taxi; he and his brother would work taxi at night.
According to her, it was his brother took him to the hospital.
Meanwhile, Puran’s mother, Farina Puran told the News Room that he was going to see his girlfriend when the tragic accident occurred. The mother said she last saw her son when he left for work on Monday. She said his shift ended at midnight, he came home but left soon after.
“He said: ‘Mommy I going by my girl and come back and if me na come back I will call you,” the woman recalled.
Farina said she received the dreadful news in the wee hours of Tuesday. A friend at the Albion Police Station called and informed her that there was an accident.
“I start to scream and I call the two other brothers and I call a car and the father did not want me to go but I had to go because that is my big son,” the grieving woman said.
She stated that while they were on their way to the hospital, they saw a hearse passing with a police vehicle tagging behind and so, they stopped the police.
She said they provided the police with some information and headed to the mortuary where she saw her son’s lifeless body.
“I saw blood on his whole face”, she recalled. Farina described her son as a friendly and loving person.
Meanwhile, Suresh Matthews, a porter from the truck told reporters that they were heading up Mahaica when they noticed the two cars racing in the opposite direction and so the driver of the truck slowed down.
Matthews said that the entire ordeal has left him shaken; he stressed that if the men were not speeding, the accident could have been avoided.
Regional Commander Boodnarine Persaud told the News Room that the driver of the Fielder Wagon and the truck driver were both taken into custody and have since been released on station bail.
