NA legal clerk dies in East Canje crash

An accident on the East Canje public road on Friday afternoon claimed the life of a part-time legal clerk.

Dead is Ganesh Anthony Persaud 23, of 5 Strand, New Amsterdam, Berbice.

The injured Lakhram in hospital yesterday
The injured Lakhram in hospital yesterday

According to an eyewitness, Persaud was in the vicinity of Canefield, East Canje travelling on his motor bike in the same direction with a motor car. The car reportedly made an unexpected U- turn and hit Persaud off the bike, said the eyewitness. The accident occurred approximately minutes after five.

The driver is currently in police custody assisting with investigations.

According to the victim’s mother, Elizabeth Persaud, her son suffered severe injuries. She said the doctor told her that his foot was broken in three places, his skull was fractured, he sustained internal injuries and his two hands were broken as well.

The mourning mother said that when her son was rushed to the hospital he was admitted to the emergency unit. She said too, that after arriving at the institution she was prevented from seeing him, adding that she forced herself into the room and observed that the young man was bleeding profusely.

Sobbing whilst speaking to this newspaper, the mother said she was contacted by the doctors and was told that they had to perform an emergency surgery on Persaud to stop the internal bleeding after which he would be transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.  She said that she signed a form and permitted the doctors to go ahead with the surgery.  After the surgery, Persaud was being transferred to the GPHC. However, he succumbed in the ambulance.  The youth died in the vicinity of Rising Sun, West Coast Berbice, approximately at 9:35 pm.

The distraught mother explained that they were preparing for a barbecue   which was to be held yesterday.  The event was to raise funds for her other son Lakhram Persaud, 20, who had been in an accident on Valentine’s Night.  The event was to be held in Canefield.

The sorrow-stricken mother said that Ganesh was working around the clock to set up everything for the BBQ.  She said he spent the entire Friday preparing.

The family needs to raise some US$7000 for Lakhram for surgery in Trinidad and Tobago. Lakhram sustained abdominal injuries after being involved in accident in front of the New Amsterdam Hospital.

From the hospital, Lakhram yesterday told Stabroek News that on Valentine’s Night he and another person were riding separate motorcycles on the public road. Lakhram said he felt an impact on his motorcycle and he became disoriented. He said as a result of the impact he lost control of the bike and crashed into the parapet.

He said he was rushed to the hospital where he was treated for his injuries. He said that after he has his surgery they are expected to take legal action.

In September 2012, the family lost another brother on the East Canje Public road in another motorbike accident.

Jarvis De Freitas, 28, of 5 Strand and Theatre Alley, New Amsterdam lost his life during drag-racing.

Ganesh Persaud
Ganesh Persaud

An eyewitness had said “it was the last race and the last ride he took” as tragedy struck. De Freitas apparently lost control of his motorcycle and it flew over a trench, crashed into a fence and broke down a shed in the yard at the back of a Chinese restaurant. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the New Amsterdam Hospital.

Meanwhile, Ganesh’s sister, Felita, explained to Stabroek News the problem the family faced from a nurse who was assisting on Friday.  She said, from the inception the nurse behaved unprofessionally.

She said that when family members were at the hospital the nurse was asking who would purchase her dinner and buy water for her.

The nurse also complained of her uniform getting dirty from the incident.

The grieving sister noted, that after they returned to the New Amsterdam Hospital the nurse was “pointing up” to her and exclaiming “we did all we could to save he! We did all we could!”

The sister lamented that, whilst going with the ambulance the driver was on his cellular phone making private calls.

She noted that the doctor and the said nurse told to him to desist from doing so.  The sister added that even though the nurse behaved in an unprofessional manner she worked along with the doctor in trying to save the life of the legal clerk.