Stone kills teen

IN A BLACK FRIDAY freak accident, an 18-year-old youth was killed after a stone propelled by the blades of a brush cutter struck him in the abdomen. Shovan Boodoosingh, of Jeffers Crossing, Tabaquite Road, Rio Claro, died one day after languishing in pain at the San Fernando General Hospital.        
                                                    
An autopsy performed yesterday revealed that Boodoosingh died after his intestines ruptured. Police sources said around midday last Friday, Boodoosingh was assisting Raj Ramnanan, 25, a tractor operator, on a job at Picton Taska Road, off Lalbeharry Trace, Barrackpore, when the clutch operating the brush cutter stopped working. According to reports, Shovan was standing about 100 feet away from the tractor while Ramnanan was trying to fix the clutch which seemed to be stuck. After a few minutes, Ramnanan was successful and the blades started to move again. However, the blades hit a stone which pitched into the air and struck the teenager on the left side of his abdomen. Boodoosingh clutched his stomach in pain and screamed for assistace. He was taken to San Fernando General Hospital where he was admitted to Ward 4. He died the following morning. The report was only made to the police yesterday. Ag Cpl Rampersad of the Barrackpore police is continuing investigations.