Elderly truck driver dies

THE ELDERLY truck-driver Mathura Lakhan, who was placed on a bond in June after being found guilty for the 1999 St James Street, San Fernando vehicular crash in which three persons were killed, enjoyed less than five months of freedom, after he died on Monday from natural causes. Lakhan was cremated yesterday. Several mourners, including Lakhan’s wife, three children and four grandchildren, braved the inclement weather to pay their final respects to the 71-year-old man, at Waterloo cremation site.

An ailing Lakhan, 71, of Mc Bean Couva, was charged with killing Lynette Chaitan Ramroop, 42, Kevin Mohammed, 14 and Telemaque Sifontis, on May 24, 1999, when his truck ploughed into two cars and two maxi-taxis at St James Street, San Fernando. Ten other persons were injured including teenager Avion George whose injuries have left her physically and mentally disabled.   During the trial which was heard before Madam Justice Paula-Mae Weeks in the San Fernando High Court,  Lakhan suffered  a heart attack and had to be hospitalised for three days. In passing judgment, Justice Weeks said a custodial sentence given Lakhan’s failing health, may have turned out to be “an unintended death sentence.”

She then placed him on a $90,000 bond to keep the peace for three years. Upon his release, Lakhan said he wanted to return to quiet family life and that the trial had traumatised him. One of his first acts upon being released, was to offer prayers to Hindu deities. Family members who gathered at the cremation site, said Lakhan would be remembered as a quiet, humble person who suffered as much as the families of the victims who died in the accident five years ago.