Friends die in accident

A DRIVE OUT to buy burgers and gasolene ended in tragedy when two men lost their lives after their car crashed into a wall in Carapichaima on Monday night. A teenage girl, sister of one of the victims, remains warded in hospital.

Ricky Ramnath, 18, who purchased his first car less than two months ago, died in the arms of his uncle moments after being pulled from the wreck. Ramnath’s friend, Shazir Ali, 23, succumbed while receiving treatment at Port-of-Spain General Hospital. Ali’s sister Nafifa, 14, is warded in stable condition at San Fernando General Hospital. The deaths of the two men has plunged their families into mourning and bring to 32 the number of people killed in vehicular accidents so far this year. Ramnath left his John Elie Road, Carapichaima home after telling relatives he was taking his car for a spin to buy gasolene. Ali and his sister, a student of Carapichaima Junior Secondary, told their relatives they were going out with Ramnath to buy burgers.

Eyewitnesses told investigators at around 9.25 pm, Ramnath’s purple Nissan Sunny was speeding along the Southern Main Road. On reaching near John Elie Road, the car swerved onto the other side of the road, mounted a pavement and crashed into a wall. Ramnath’s brother, Ryan, 21, told Newsday when residents of the area, including Ramnath’s relatives, heard the loud crash they ran out of their homes to see what had happened. The injured trio were pulled out of the mangled wreck. Ryan said only two weeks ago his brother, who worked at Chase Village Auto Supplies, began a civil engineering course at the San Fernando Technical Institute.

At Ali’s residence, a crying Shamiroon Ali, 41, said her son and daughter said they were going out with Ramnath to buy burgers. She said Shazir was a gardener who was just starting to “build up himself by growing and selling crops.” The weeping woman said this was the second tragedy to befall her family, as next month would make it a year since her husband died from cancer. Ali said when she saw her son at Chaguanas Health Centre, he was unconscious and bleeding from wounds to his head. He was subsequently transferred to Port-of-Spain General Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. She said her daughter “got lashes about her body,” but was resting in stable condition. Funeral arrangements for both victims are yet to be finalised. PC Delarosa of the Freeport Police Station is continuing investigations.