Families of persons injured in Canje accident seeking justice

Jan 11, 2023 News

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By Malisa Playter-Harry

…as drunken firewoman charged with DUI, placed on bail

Kaieteur News – For 32-year-old Sharon McDonald, the challenges of being a single mother are mountainous but her challenges have multiplied over the last few weeks since four of her five children were involved in a vehicular accident.

McDonald, a domestic worker, told Kaieteur News that she is finding it increasingly difficult to take care of her children who have all suffered life changing injuries in the accident which occurred on Christmas Eve (December 24, 2022).

The Lot 320 East Canefield, Canje, Berbice mother is contemplating her next move as she pushes against the odds to take care of her children and herself.

Eleven-year-old Shavine Laundry, 10-year-old Shaveh Laundry, 8-year-old Javeer Blair, and 5-year-old Shaniah Blair, were in the car driven by firewoman Chandani Mohabir, 28, of East Canefield, Canje that crashed into motorcycle, injuring motorcyclist Marley Ross and killing his 2-year-old daughter Jasmin Ross who was the pillion rider on Dec 24 2022.

The firewoman, whose blood alcohol level was tested following the accident, has since been charged with Driving under the Influence (DUI) and placed on $100,000 bail. Her alcohol level showed that she was above the legal limit when she crashed into the motorcyclist.

Commander Shivpersaud Bacchus disclosed that the police is awaiting advice for possible charges.

Mohabir’s DUI charge does not sit well with McDonald who said that because of the firewoman’s recklessness, her children are suffering life changing injuries. The frustrated woman said that her 10-year-old is still traumatised from the accident while her 8-year-old son suffered a fractured skull. Her 5-year-old daughter had injuries to her knee that still aches when she walks and her 11-year-old daughter suffered severe brain injuries that has changed her completely.”She has brain injuries, she don’t talk, now she trying to balance her weight and she does things that she has never done before…” McDonald told Kaieteur News while explaining that the injuries her children are nursing has added to her already difficult life.

“…I don’t have anyone that helps me because I do domestic work for a living and I does do it to send them to school so they can get an education and make sure they have meals on the table…” she explained.
Unfortunately, since the children’s accident on Christmas Eve, McDonald has been unable to work as she has to care for her injured children. Luckily, with assistance from her neighbours and the children’s grandmother, she received a bit of cushion. But the help she has received so far is not enough.

“It is really tough,” she told Kaieteur News noting that she is thankful for the help she has received thus far.

McDonald said her eldest daughter “is using a lot of pampers, she gotta use Ensure, apple juice and dem kinda thing and I can’t really afford it but I am trying my best to give her because she cannot eat no solid food…”

The mother of five said the 11-year-old child had recently started secondary school and is in the first form level. The woman said it is difficult to look at her injured children struggle because they had normal lives before the accident.

But with the aforementioned difficulties faced by McDonald, she is now required to relocate from the house she rented for the past three years because she is unable to pay her $20,000 rent.

“She [the firewoman] has been walking around and talking that my children getting better. Is that getting better? She cannot stand on her weight, she operates like a mad child and it hurt me because my child was growing good, she cannot go to school. I cannot work because I have to look after her and the other children…” the single mother said.

McDonald is forced to pay $16,000 to hire a taxi to take her children to clinic in Georgetown as is required since the accident.

The woman recounted that on the day of the accident, the firewoman who is well known to her, collected her children and said she was taking them to the Chinese shop on the public road to buy something for their Christmas.

McDonald said shortly after the woman left with her children, she was received a call from the firewoman informing her of an accident and asking her not to panic. The woman said that she was told that her children were injured. The woman also has a 2-year-old daughter who was with her at the time of the accident.

Surveillance footage seen by this publication showed Mohabir swerving into the path of motorcyclist Ross, pelting him and his child off the motorcycle before they landed on the road. The car Mohabir was driving appeared to have been proceeding at a fast rate.

Meanwhile, Ross the motorcyclist is currently confined to a wheelchair since the accident. His wife Jamasie Carmichael told Kaieteur News that her husband is unable to work since he suffered a broken leg and hand.

He underwent surgery and had steel placed in his limbs. They also have another child who is 5-years-old but he cannot start school because they are not in a financial position to send him.

Both families are asking for justice to be served. Persons willing to assist Sharon McDonald can contact her on 609-8703 or 327-2024.

Jamasie Carmichael can be contacted on 690-3175.

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• accident, bail, care, Malisa Playter-Harry, worker

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