‘I dropped her off happy… I collected her gone’ – Family broken after death of Corentyne teen

The family of 16-year-old Jodea Seline of Limlair Village, Corentyne, is still overwhelmed with grief as they try to come to terms with her sudden death following Friday night’s tragic accident that claimed a second life and left 17 others seriously injured.

Her mother, Shemmala Castello, said she had dropped Jodea off at the Central Corentyne Secondary School early that morning. Jodea was excited, she was heading to Corriverton to take part in a sports event, something she had been looking forward to. Her 13-year-old sister, Jennia Seline, joined her, full of the same youthful enthusiasm.

But by 18:30 hrs, Castello’s world fell apart when she received a call saying Jodea had been in an accident.

When she reached the Number 75 Hospital, she was confronted with the unimaginable: her daughter was gone.

“Her brains were coming through her ears, nose and mouth,” Castello said through tears, recalling the moment that broke her completely.

The grief was so overwhelming that Castello collapsed and had to be admitted for treatment. While at the hospital, she spoke with students who had been in the same minibus.

“They said the sir pulled on a horse,” she recounted, a small detail that did nothing to ease the pain but added to the swirl of unanswered questions.

Through her tears, Castello remembered Jodea as “friendly to everyone”,  a girl who carried warmth and kindness wherever she went. Someone whose gentle spirit touched friends, teachers, neighbours and relatives effortlessly.

Now, the entire family is struggling to cope with her sudden loss. The home that once echoed with Jodea’s laughter is now filled with grief, disbelief and the hushed sobs of those who loved her dearly.

“I just hope the other children recover safely… and my daughter too,” Castello said, referring to Jennia, who remains hospitalised with injuries.

Hours later, the tragedy deepened when 31-year-old Jerome Bernard, a teacher from Brighton Village and the driver of the minibus involved, also succumbed to his injuries at the Georgetown Public Hospital.