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Death toll for Linden Highway crash now four
Wednesday evening’s horrific collision on the Linden Soesdyke Highway claimed its fourth life with the latest victim, Louron Mendonca, succumbing to his injuries early yesterday morning at the Linden Hospital Complex.
According to reports, Mendonca, who had been in Linden on holiday from St Vincent, was a guest of David Primus, his uncle. Primus and Dextroy Griffith died instantly as a result of the collision that occurred in the vicinity of Loo Creek.
Primus was the driver of motor car HC 5326, in which both Mendonca and Griffith were travelling. Griffith’s wife, 22-year-old Whitney Ann Griffith, who was also in the vehicle, is hospitalized in Linden. She is reportedly five months pregnant, with her third child. The driver of the other vehicle, motor car PRR 7151, who also perished, is 38-year-old Raul Aaron of 748 Section C, Block X, Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara. The two vehicles were travelling in opposite directions, with the Primus’ returning to Linden.
A sombre mood filled the homes of the Griffiths, Primus and Mendonca as the families, all teary-eyed, spoke of their loved ones who perished in the smash-up.
Whitney Griffith, of 64 Self Help Housing Scheme and a cartographer at the Bureau of Statistics, would travel everyday to and from Georgetown. She would wait on her husband or vice versa so that they could travel back home together.
She sustained a dislocated left hip and a broken hand and was still in shock and disbelief following the mishap. “What will happen to me and the children? Who will take care of us? He can’t be dead.”
Griffith’s husband, Dextroy, who works as a mechanic with Roraima Airways at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, was killed on the spot.
He has worked previously with ‘Buff’ Mechanic shop in Amelia’s Ward and only landed his job with Roraima Airways three months ago. The Griffiths were in the process of relocating to Georgetown.
Whitney Griffith will be celebrating her 24th birthday on January 15, and the couple would have celebrated their first wedding anniversary on January 16.
According to Dianna Plowell, Whitney Griffith’s mother, “Dextroy was a family man. He was a loving child to his mother and a wonderful husband and father. I brought them up on Tuesday night and he insisted he got to go see his mother, so he went. The next day he is dead. His wife and children were the apples of his eye. Last year we were planning a wedding, now we are planning a funeral.”
The woman said that her son-in-law died protecting his wife. “My daughter told me, ‘mommy when I catch meself after the collision, Dextroy was covering me with his body, and he had his arms around me.’”
Suzette La Rose of Canvas City, Linden, is in denial of her son’s death; reality has not checked in as yet. “I am not accepting that my Dextroy is dead, I am not accepting that. My son got to come home.”
Louron Mendonca, 22, died yesterday morning while undergoing surgery.
Mendonca, who lives in St.Vincent and the Grenadines, is the only son for his father, Louie Mendonca. His son came home to pick up his US visa. He was staying at his great uncle Dave Primus who also perished in the accident, the man recalled.
The older Mendonca said “He went to town to pick up his visa and was coming back with his uncle when this happened. I can’t believe it; he is my second child and my only son. It hard, real hard.”
The older Mendonca said people were there pretending to assist the injured, but they were there with a different agenda. “Somebody bring my son bag and give me with his papers. They claim they found it in Lover’s Lane, Amelia’s Ward. I know he collected some money from Western Union and all I got is the slip to show he collected the money, but no money. How the bag meet in Lover’s Lane?”
David Primus’s wife Rachael told this newspaper that both Mendonca and her husband had left for Georgetown on Wednesday morning, but that Mendonca had left earlier than his uncle.
However Mendonca joined Primus for the ill-fated trip back to Linden.
The woman, who remained somewhat in shock said, “I screamed; I couldn’t believe it – I said not my husband – not Dave.
“I couldn’t believe it because I know my husband was always a good driver, he was never reckless, so I couldn’t understand.”
Several persons visited the bereaved relatives and offered words of encouragement and prayed with them. Among them were ranks from the Amelia’s Ward Police Outpost and Pastors Jordan and Selwyn Sills.
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