Abused, frustrated mother killed in accident

Jun 18, 2009 News

…after driver swerves from cow

Mohan Gheer

By Fareeza Haniff
Four boys, including a three-week-old, lost their 25-year-old mother at around noon yesterday after she was struck by a car on the East Bank Demerara public road, at Providence.
After dropping off her seven–year–old son to school, Mary Sandy, who resided in Providence, was crossing the road opposite the Texaco Gas Station when she was hit by the car, PDD 9467. She died on the spot.
A female eyewitness told police that the driver was heading south along the public road at the same time that a cow as crossing. According to the woman, the man, identified as Doodnaught Misir, attempted to drive around the roving animal and ended up fatally striking Sandy.
Giving his version of the incident, Misir, 57, of Herstelling, EBD, told Kaieteur News that he was heading south in his car at approximately 30 kilometers per hour, when a cow ran across the road. Misir, who has been detained, claimed that he ‘mashed brakes’, but hit the woman, who was crossing the road at the same time.

He recounted that Sandy was in the middle of the road when he struck her. According to the driver, he exited the vehicle to render assistance and at the

7 – year old Andre Sandy stands inside of his mother’s shack.

time, the woman was still alive, but appears to have succumbed shortly after. She was rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, where was pronounced dead. It was reported that she died from a fractured neck.
Misir, who is employed as a security guard, admitted that he had taken “two shots” of vodka with Sprite before the mishap.
He said he placed the bottle with the rest of the liquor in the car, with the intention of consuming the contents when he arrived home. Traffic ranks subsequently retrieved a bottle of alcohol from the man’s car.
Although the new law has been assented to by President Bharrat Jagdeo, a traffic officer told this newspaper that the police cannot apply a breathalyzer test on the driver because the Minister of Home Affairs has the responsibility to declare a date when the law will come into effect.

The shack in which the children live with their now dead mother.

However, he explained that the driver could still be charged under the old law, section 39 of the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act which states that once there is evidence that a person is under the influence of alcohol. In the absence of the breathalyzer test the evidence could include slurred speech and smell.
Meanwhile, this newspaper understands that prior to her death; Sandy was in a ‘state of confusion.’ Her friend, who supports her in taking care of her children, Shamie Singh, told Kaieteur News that Sandy had suffered years of abuse at the hands of her husband, Mohan Gheer, whom she described as a ‘drug addict.’
Singh who operates a canteen opposite the National Stadium employed Gheer as a labourer and was kind enough to allow the family to build a small shack on her land. She had also been supporting Sandy in maintaining the children by providing food for them, almost every day.
The four boys, all carrying their mother’s surname, are Andre, 7, Anthony, 5, Mark, 3, and three-week-old Andrew.

Singh told this newspaper that about a week ago, Gheer attempted to beat the woman with a piece of wood, but she ran away and was saved by some of her friends.
“Only last week gone, he cuss she out and gat de children dem pun de road stand up… he don’t give she no money… as soon as he get pay, he gone and smoke drugs with de money and tell she that she gon see how she gon look after de children… he don’t even know how he children dem does get food fuh eat,” Singh said.
She added that when Sandy made a report to the Providence Police Station about the incident, the police officers told her that when her husband hits her, then she can make an actual report.
The woman added that Gheer left the house since Monday, and never returned home, until he heard his wife was in an accident. He turned up at the scene yesterday and saw her lifeless body on the road.
Sandy’s 7–year-old son, Andre, also came out of the school’s compound and saw his mother’s body on the roadway.
Singh noted that minutes before the accident occurred, Sandy was telling her that she would place her two smallest children in an orphanage, while she would go work in a Chinese restaurant to maintain herself and her two other children whom she noted she would leave with a security guard, while she worked during the night.

“Mary told me this morning that she want to give her two small children to the orphanage, because she wanted to go wuk at the Chinese restaurant and that the security guard woulda watchman she other children dem during the night. Her mind was totally confused. Her husband tormented her…he punished her to death. All he know fuh do is drink rum and smoke drugs.”
Gheer, however denied ever hitting his wife, as he noted that he only wanted to scare her when he threatened her with the wood. He was at a loss for words when he was asked about not financially supporting his family.

Meanwhile, Kaieteur News Managing Director, Glenn Lall has said that he would help with some of the funeral expenses for the woman and will support the maintenance of the children for some time.
Mr. Lall also expressed his confidence that other Guyanese would want to render their assistance to the now motherless children. “We can even get together and build a better house for these children,” Lall said.
Anyone interested in assisting the children can make contact with Mr. Lall at Kaieteur News on telephone number, 225–8452 or at email: [email protected]