Child dies in accident, mother ‘broken’ by tragedy

An afternoon ride home from school turned into a tragedy on Friday afternoon when eight-year-old Supriya Khan died in an accident along the main access road at Parika Backdam, East Bank Essequibo.

Supriya, a Grade Three pupil of the Parika Back Primary School, was riding home with her father, 32-year-old Imran Khan, on an electric bike around 15:30 hrs when the accident unfolded.

According to Police statement, motor pickup GAB 8162, driven by 22-year-old Arif Alli of Parika, was heading east in the same direction as the electric bike when the driver attempted to overtake. In the process, Police said, the pick-up collided with the e-bike, throwing both father and daughter onto the roadway.

Supriya was picked up by the driver of the pickup in an unconscious state and taken to the De Kinderen Public Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her father is receiving treatment at the same hospital; he is suffering from a fractured skull.

The child’s grieving mother, Ramona Rackbar, told the News Room that she is trying to come to grips with the tragedy.

“He [Imran] was calling out to everybody he knew. A lil after he ride off, persons said they hear the impact and when they watch out they see baby [Supriya] pitch off the bike,” Rackbar told News Room.

She added, “She breathed her last on the bed. She bleed out.

“I am really broke. I cannot eat. I am only living off of liquid. I can’t function.”

The woman said her husband remains hospitalised but doesn’t yet know that his daughter passed away.

Police also reported that breathalyser tests conducted on Alli revealed readings were well over the legal limit. The tests showed that he had 128 and 134 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath; the legal limit is 35 microgrammes. He remains in custody as investigations continue.

Meanwhile, the body of little Supriya has been taken to the Ezekiel Funeral Home, where a post-mortem examination is expected.