A driver who was charged with causing the death of a schoolgirl and injuries to her brother had the case against him dropped several months ago after witnesses failed to show and the family decided to accept compensation.
On June 20, 2011 nine-year-old Vijai Ramnauth of D’ Edward Village, West Bank Berbice narrowly escaped death after he was struck by a speeding car but his older sister, Jaswattie Ramnauth was not so lucky.
Vijai, who sustained head and neck injuries and a broken left leg, was referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital for treatment. Thankfully, he is back on his feet again and living a normal life after undergoing surgeries and treatment.
Jaswattie, 9, suffered severe head injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Fort Wellington Hospital. Vijai and his sister were returning home from the Cotton Tree Primary around 8:20 am after being told that their end-of-term exams were in the afternoon session, when tragedy struck.
His parents, Tasha and Dianand Ramnauth told this newspaper that he also had to undergo a lot of tests privately, with some costing $40,000 each.
After he was discharged from hospital, he had to visit the doctor twice monthly for check-ups. But after six months his parents decided to stop taking him because each time they had to spend of money to hire a taxi.
They expressed gratitude for the support they received from the public during their trying time. They kept praying for his complete recovery and more than anything else, for the driver of the blue Honda Fit car, PMM 8812, to be brought to justice.
The driver had fled the scene but the following morning his mother accompanied him to the Blairmont Police Station where he turned himself in.
He was charged and placed before the court but after a few months of the preliminary inquiry, the Ramnauths felt they would have lost the case because the witnesses had not come forward to testify.
Subsequently Tasha became pregnant and was finding it stressful to continue attending the inquiry at court. The matter was then dismissed after both parties came to an agreement.
The driver had told investigators that his vehicle skidded on the mud that was left behind from the wheels of tractors.
Meanwhile, the driver was also implicated in an accident three years earlier, where he struck down another child, Sateshwar Ragunandan, now 14, who was in a coma for six months.
The boy has been left paralyzed. The boy’s poverty-stricken parents subsequently accepted monetary compensation from the driver.
