Nine children killed in nine months

Sep 19, 2016 News

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Losing a child is one of the hardest things for any parent.
Having to see their little prince or princess lying on the road with their limbs crushed is something no mother or father can overcome.
While a husband, a wife or a sibling overcomes the death of their loved one after sometime, no parent ever moves on after their little angel had been killed.
Lucille Bacchus is a perfect example of a mother whose life has completely fell apart after the deaths of her two children in November, 1996.
In a recent interview, the woman, whose only children, Willie, 17, and Fareena, 16, died when a drunk driver crashed into the motorcycle they were on, said, “when that driver took my children’s lives, he took mine.”
Today, Bacchus’ life is surrounded by the memories of her children. She spends her time among their toys and clothing. When her children were killed, she suffered from depression and had a nervous breakdown.
Now, Mrs. Bacchus hopes that no other mother shall have to experience what she has been going through for the past 20 years.
Mrs. Bacchus’ warning to parents to protect their children from the dangerous roads in this country has come a little too late for some parents.
For this year already, nine children have been killed in road accidents. What these parents are going through is beyond what anyone can imagine.

On March 28, three-year-old Ashton Sears lost his life when he reportedly ran in front of car on the Haslington, East Coast Demerara (ECD) public road.
The child had gone to the seawall with his family to take part in the kite flying activity when his life was snuffed out.
He died while receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
On April, 03, Ishmael Raghubir, 10, was riding in the tray of a Canter, driven by his father, along Agriculture Road, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD) when he fell to his death. The child fell as a result of the vehicle swerving.
On April 27, five-month-old baby Randy Williams was being taken for his usual afternoon push in his stroller along Market Dam, Belmont, Mahaica by his nine-year-old cousin when a truck driven by a neighbour, slammed into them.
While the cousin escaped unhurt, the vehicle struck the baby, inflicting severe injuries that subsequently resulted in his death.
On May 15, 10-year-old Davin Sealey was killed after a speeding car, driven by a police constable, crashed into him on the Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara (WBD) Public Road, in the vicinity of the area’s post office.
Reports are that after crashing into Sealey, the vehicle only came to a stop after hitting a parked vehicle on the roadway and slammed into a utility pole before turning turtle on the roadway.

On August 20, last—four-year-old Raveena Harris of West Canje, Berbice, was killed in an accident at Bushy Park, Mahaicony when a driver lost control of a car while negotiating a turn and veered into the path of another vehicle, in which little Harris was a passenger.
On September 10, last— four-year-old Ambeka Trotman died after sustaining multiple injuries when a vehicle, driven by a 21-year-old man rammed into the car in which the baby and her 23-year-old mother, Abiola Trotman were passengers.
The accident occurred on Sheriff Street, Georgetown, in the vicinity of Royal Castle.
On August, 27, last—11-year-old Hema Singh was struck down on the Canal Number One, West Bank Demerara (WBD) Public Road, a short distance from her Lot 19 Tenez Ferme home.
She was crossing the public road when the car crashed into her. The 11-year-old died two weeks after the accident.
Her mother, Nalini Sukhu said that she had sent her daughter to buy garlic from a grocery van that was passing on the public road when the accident occurred.
“I was sewing and when I see she (Hema) stopped the van, I continued sewing and all I hear was ‘blam’ and when I look up, I see a child in the air,” Sukhu recalled—at that time she had no idea it was her daughter who was involved in the accident.
The woman said that it was when a relative shouted her daughter’s name that she rushed out to see whether it was her child.
On September 13, Marvin, aged 10 months, and his seven-year-old sister, Tina were killed in an accident along the Blankenburg Public Road, West Coast Demerara (WCD).
According to information received, the car in which the children were in was being driven by their step-father, Mark Halley when he reportedly lost control and ran into two parked vehicles on the road.
Halley and the children’s mother, Michelle Miguel are still hospitalized.
Meanwhile, for the year so far, a shocking 98 deaths, including the nine children have occurred forcing the Guyana Police Force to launch Operation Safeway in an effort to reduce the number of accidents on the country’s roadway.
At a recent press conference, acting Commissioner of Police, David Ramnarine said that the rate at which people are killed on the country’s roadway is unacceptable, disturbing and very much of concern since Guyana is a small developing country.
It was in this vain that operation was launched in an effort to clamp down on drunk, speeding and reckless drivers.

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