An unlicensed teen driver died and his friend was injured after he lost control of the vehicle he was driving in the wee hours of yesterday morning and ended up in a trench on the Corentyne.
Akash Mohan called “Boye”, 15, reportedly took his cousin’s Toyota 4Runner without permission and went joyriding. His cousin Mahindra Baichan called `Cardo’ was asleep at the time, reports said.
Mohan’s friend Andrew Sooknandan, 16, of Kingston, Corriverton, who occupied the passenger seat at the time of the accident, sustained severe injuries and is currently receiving medical attention at the New Amsterdam Public Hospital.
A release from the police stated that Mohan was driving a motor vehicle along the Public Road at Crabwood Creek, Corentyne, when he lost control of it and collided with a parked vehicle and a concrete bridge.
Stabroek News understands that Mohan collected the keys to the vehicle after everyone had retired to bed. After Mohan snuck out with the vehicle he went to Kingston and picked up Sooknandan.
Reports are that Mohan was speeding when he hit a pile of stone that was on the left hand side of the road. This resulted in him losing control of the vehicle as he skidded on the pebbles. He then slammed into the parked vehicle, dropped in a trench next to the public road, crossed a street and landed between a trench on the cross street bracing on the fence of a mandir. As the vehicle toppled and turned, a utility pole and a signboard were smashed. Parts of the vehicle and skid marks told the tale.
When Stabroek News visited the scene yesterday, an excavator was removing the vehicle PMM 6390 from the trench. Residents were overheard talking about the senseless loss of life.
Rishi Singh, the owner of GJJ 9738, which Mohan hit, said his 1996 Ford 4×4 pickup was parked on the road and when he looked outside after hearing a loud sound, he noticed that it was moved several feet away from where he had parked it. On closer inspection, he observed the entire right side of the vehicle wrecked. Singh said that while he was inspecting his vehicle, a patrol from the Berbice Anti-Smuggling Squad (BASS) drove up and members informed him that they had seen a vehicle driving at a fast rate and it was probably the same vehicle that damaged his.
Singh said that while speaking to the BASS members, they looked “up the road” and saw a vehicle parked in the trench bracing on the fence of a Mandir. He said that when they arrived at where the vehicle was parked he saw Mohan lying on the left side of the street while Sooknandan was on the right side. At that point, Singh said, they were still breathing. They were taken to the Skeldon Hospital and admitted.
Stabroek News understands that Mohan was staying at his cousin’s house at Baichan Sawmill, Crabwood Creek for some time now and this was the first time he had pulled such a stunt.
Family members said they did not want to speak to the media.
However, a friend of Mohan’s said his father had died sometime back and he appeared to be troubled and was sent to spend some time at his cousin’s.
Mohan’s body is currently at the Skeldon Hospital Mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination.
He leaves to mourn his mother, siblings and other relatives and friends.
