Another student dies after car fire

RAEANN DIAZ, the 16-year-old student of Caribbean Union College who suffered third degree burns when the car she was travelling in burst into flames at Trincity on Sunday night, died at the Intensive Care Unit of the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex yesterday. Her mother Ann, sister Ria, and other members of her family were called to her bedside minutes after she died. An emotional Ryan Diaz, Raeann’s brother and a Newsday employee, told Newsday that on Tuesday, Raeann began to respond and showed signs of movement. The Diaz family prayed at her bedside. Yesterday, relatives were called to the hospital and told the sad news that all of Raeann’s organs had shut down and only her heart was functional. They told the family to prepare themselves for the death.

Death came at 10.20 am yesterday, while the Diaz family were in the waiting room at the hospital. Ann Diaz, mother of the dead student, was comforted by Ria Diaz, her daughter and other relatives. Ryan said yesterday that his family was full of praise for the doctors at the EWMSC who fought to save his sister’s life and that they would like to express great appreciation for the efforts made by the staff of the ICU. Newsday learnt that Raeann was totally disfigured by the burns she suffered and was sedated at hospital because of the excruciating pains. She was placed on drips and doctors at the EWMSC said that she never had any chance of survival. Doctors claimed that the hospitals throughout the country are not properly equipped with the necessary equipment to deal with patients with severe burns and in most cases, people who are admitted to hospitals with third degree burns die. Funeral arrangements for Raeann are still to be finalised. The Form Four student was supposed to write CXC exams next year. When news of her death was announced at her school yesterday, her classmates and teachers were in a state of shock and mourning. The funeral service for Liesel King, the 16-year-old student of St Joseph’s Convent who perished in the same car fire, will take place today at the Malick RC Church.