Mother, son critical after struck by drag-racing taxi

Mar 08, 2016 News

-driver hides car after
A mother and her teenage son are now battling for their lives in different hospitals after they were struck down by a speeding drunken driver on the Sea Well Public Road, East Coast Berbice aback of the Guyoil Gas station.
The accident occured around 20:00hrs on Sunday evening.

(Inset) Critical: Latchmin Armogan and Joshua Ramlakhan and the damaged car.

The two injured persons who were struck and hurled in a trench are Latchmin Armogan, called “Sharmila”, 45, a mother of five of Lot 97 Palmyra, East Coast Berbice and her son, Joshua Ramlakhan, called “Pawar”, 16. The woman is hospitalised in the Intensive Care Unit of the New Amsterdam Hospital with both of her arms broken and injuries to various parts of her body including her head and belly.
Her son has been transferred to the Georgetown Hospital for emergency treatment he is suffering with injuries to various parts of his body.
According to information the woman a cleaner attached to the Rose hall Estate, had just left her home to collect her son who was with his brothers and some other villagers on a street not too far away.
According to one of the woman’s sons, Ganesh, 21, his mother had just collected his brother and was taking him home because he is not well and his mother would always have him in her sight. He said that he saw two cars dragging racing speeding around the Seawell turn.
One of the cars continued on the main road while the other a White Caldina Wagon HB 6144 which was overloaded at the time entered the side entrance towards the gas station. He said that he was about five feet away from his mother and sibling when the driver eventually lost control and broadsided his mother and brother and flung then into the trench. The men made a U turn and sped away towards Corentyne and hid the car in a Savannah at No.7 Village, not too far away.
Ganesh stated that he looked and did not see his mother and brother. He started to scream. Without taking a second thought he plunged into the dark trench and began searching for his loved ones who were both submerged. He found his mother after a few minutes of searching and brought her out of the trench.
Another brother Suraj, 19, and some others had also plunged into the trench. They were not having much luck in finding his brother who was stuck on his head in the mud under the water until they saw some splashing in the corner between some grass. The splashing was coming from a big Snook which was caught in his brother pants foot. Feeling in that area the man was able to pull his brother out of the water. He was covered in mud. His brother’s belly was swollen and he had already swallowed a quantity of water.
They were both unconscious and were rushed to the New Amsterdam hospital.
The police were contacted and responded promptly. The car and the driver were subsequently found and taken into custody. The driver was tested for alcohol and found to be way over the permitted limit.
The woman lost her husband some time ago and has been providing for her five sons. Relatives are calling for justice since they were being threatened by relatives of the perpetrators.
Charges are likely soon.