The driver of one of the cars involved in the fatal smash-up at No. 2 Village, Canje on Saturday evening is in police custody while the other is in a stable condition at the New Amsterdam Hospital.
The accident resulted in the deaths of Tony ‘Rocky’ Thayloo, 25, a pedal cyclist of Fort Ordnance, East Canje and Sureshdyal Kalipersaud, 29, called ‘Aemron’ of Tortola, the British Virgin Islands (BVI). In yesterday’s Sunday Stabroek Kalipersaud was erroneously identified as Shawn Ramsarran. Stabroek News regrets the error and apologises for any inconvenience caused to the families.
Kalipersaud was an occupant of the white AT 212 Toyota Carina car, HB 7214, driven by Ramsarran, 28, called ‘Fat Boy’ of Sheet Anchor, Canje.
Kalipersaud was rushed to the hospital and died while receiving treatment while Thayloo appeared to have died on the spot.
Reports are that Ramsarran and the driver of another AT 212 car, HB 6777, Steve Ramcharran, 23, collided after Ramcharran swerved to avoid hitting a cow – which was still struck – as he was about to overtake. Ramcharran and another occupant in his car reportedly escaped the accident unhurt.
Traffic Chief of ‘B’ Division, Kevin Adonis told Stabroek News that a breathalyser test done on Ramcharran of 58 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam proved that there was no alcohol in his system.
According to a source the test was not done on Ramsarran because he was hospitalized and the doctor would have to authorize the test. The mangled cars have also been impounded.
This newspaper learnt that in the process of overtaking, Ramsarran collided with HB 6777 and his car, HB 7214 started to spin, turning turtle several times and hitting Thayloo.
The vehicle came to a rest upside down after Kalipersaud had been flung out. The driver, Ramsarran, sustained injuries, and ended up in a drain.
Meanwhile, after the impact with the white car, HB 6777 crashed into the veranda post of a house and then into a fence that separates the property from the neighbour’s yard.
Thayloo’s mother, Dero Thayloo, 42, was at home when she heard the impact and ran out to investigate. When she got to the scene she was heartbroken when she saw her son’s bloodied body.
She said he had just left home on his cycle to purchase a phone card when tragedy struck. Thayloo, the eldest of four was the sole breadwinner of the home after his father died a few years ago.
He was employed at Kassim’s Construction Services at No. 2 Village, East Canje as a supervisor.
His employer, Rafeek Kassim, 33, described him as his “right hand man” and said he was “irreplaceable.”
He said too that the man was “more like a brother to me. He was the small brother that I never had. We used to hang together and I would miss him a lot.”
Kassim too learnt that the cars were racing causing residents to comment “…what these people going on with?” He called for the police to conduct a thorough investigation and for both drivers to face charges.
Kassim said the accident could have been worse because persons would normally “lime” at that spot. He said too that cows were always sleeping on the road and the owners do not seem to care.
Kalipersaud’s mother, Laureen Kalipersaud, 54, told this newspaper that her son was a “top mechanic” in the BVI. He migrated eight years ago and returned for his annual vacation five days ago.
He was expected to return home on Wednesday. The grieving woman said one of his close friends brought the news to her that he had been in an accident. By the time she got to the hospital she learnt that he had died.
Ramsarran’s brother, Andrew told this newspaper that his brother was complaining of stomach pains. He also said that Ramsarran who started working as a taxi driver three years ago was having trouble breathing, eating and talking.
He denied that the cars were racing and said that after his brother’s car swerved from the cow as it was overtaking, the other car attempted to overtake at the same time, resulting in the collision.
