Three friends die in Providence crash

Aug 01, 2009 News

Three friends died early yesterday morning after their car crashed into a lamp-post near Providence, East Bank Demerara. They were in a car that one of them had taken without permission while his father slept.

Sookdeo’s wife, Michelle, and their son, Samuel

Confirmed dead are Richard Chinian, 23, of Lot 55, First Street Covent Garden, East Bank Demerara; his next door neighbour, 19-year-old, Asheeki Asgar Ally, of Lot 54, First Street Covent Garden; and James Sookdeo, 23, also called ‘Peter’, who lived further up the same street at Lot 50 Covent Garden.
The lone survivor, 23-year-old Faroud Mohamed of Lot 68, Covent Garden, sustained injuries that do not appear to be life-threatening.
Police identified him as the driver of the vehicle, and charged him. According to police, Mohamed was driving the vehicle, PFF 576, north along the East Bank Demerara Public Road when he lost control of the vehicle and slammed into the concrete base of a light pole.
Sookdeo and Chinian were pronounced dead on arrival at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre.
Ally succumbed while receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
A man claiming to be an eyewitness said that the vehicle was travelling at a fast rate and the victims appeared to be ‘drag-racing’ with the occupants of another car, who continued on their way after the crash.
A Providence resident told Kaieteur News that the impact of the car slamming into the pole “sounded like a cannon.”
He said that the car was engulfed in smoke and on going closer, he saw the four young men, who were motionless, trapped inside the wreckage.
They eventually managed to prise open one of the doors and free the victims. A pickup took the driver, Faroud Mohamed, and Asheeki Ally to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre.
A police pickup, which arrived shortly after, took Sookdeo and Chinian to the same hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
Dry-eyed but angry, Lionel Chinian told Kaieteur News that his son, Richard and his friends were playing cricket in the street near their home from Thursday up to around midnight.
Mr. Chinian retired to bed, leaving his white Toyota Carina, PFF 576, parked outside his home.
“He (Richard, who had no driver’s licence) took the key without my knowledge, and (went) with three of his friends.”
“I knew around 02:00 hrs when a friend called for Richard, and I saw the car missing, I knew that something was wrong.”
Mr. Chinian said the friend informed him that Faroud Mohamed and Asheeki Ally were at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre. When he arrived there, he learned that his son was among the dead.
“I am confused; I am hurt, to lose my eldest child.” Richard Chinian is survived by his 21-year-old sister.
He confirmed that Richard and next door neighbour Asheeki were best friends, who grew up in the community.

Faroud Mohamed being lifted out the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court

Asheeki’s mother was too devastated to speak, but other relatives revealed that the youth was employed as an Air Traffic Controller at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
He would have celebrated his 20th birthday on Monday.
James Sookdeo’s wife, Michelle, told Kaieteur News that her husband, who worked with a construction firm, came home early yesterday and was playing cricket with his friends in the street. However, when she checked outside later that night he had left.
When she called some hours later, his mobile phone rang out. The woman said that she sent a ‘call me’ message, but James never answered.
Relatives learned about the accident when a neighbour who had visited the scene came to their home. They were told that two of the victims had died on the spot, and learned that James had not survived. An uncle, who is in Guyana on vacation with his family, said that the relatives had planned to go to ‘the creek’ today.
His nephew, James, had asked his employees for the day off so that he could be with the gathering.
“But that won’t happen anymore,” he said sadly.
James Sookdeo is also survived by his one-year-old son, Samuel Sookdeo.
When Kaieteur News visited the area, relatives of the victims were setting up tents in preparation for their wakes.