Two killed in weekend accidents

TWO MEN have died, and three others are fighting for their lives at hospital, in separate road accidents over the weekend.

The fatalities were: Harry Balgobin, 50, of St Croix Road, Lengua; and Akilo Rahim, 20, of St John’s Village, near San Fernando. In the first incident, Balgobin, a father of two, died after he was struck by a speeding car and pitched 20 feet into the air. Reports said that Balgobin was headed to an all fours championship match at Arena Village with three others—Zaheed Khan, 36; Rodney Nelson, and Zammil Hosein, all of Princes Town—in a car driven by Khan. According to police, Balgobin was standing at the back of Khan’s vehicle, which was parked at the roadside, when another man driving a Toyota Cressida ploughed into the back of the car, and Balgobin was flung into the air. The Cressida then slammed into an electricity pole. Balgobin died after his body  landed on the road. The driver of the Cressida is in critical condition at hospital.  Balgobin’s wife, Sursattie, 38, believes that her husband had predicted his death. She said: “Last week he kept telling me he is on death row. Now look what happen.” Sursattie said when he left home on Saturday night the last thing she told him was “be careful.” The Balgobins had two children —  Reshma, 14, and Videsh, 11. Erin Police are conducting investigations.

In the second incident, 20-year-old Rahim was killed when he and a friend were leaving the Guayafest celebrations at Guayaguayare early Sunday morning. The fatal accident occurred around 3 am when Rahim and Colin Trotman, of St Charles Village, Princes Town, were headed north along the Guayaguayare Main Road in a car driven by Trotman. Police said upon reaching Toby Bridge the driver of the car lost control and veered off the road, striking pedestrian Walcott Marrain, 40, of Coronation Road, Sangre Grande. The car then plunged into a ravine, and Rahim, the front seat passenger, died on the spot. Trotman and Marrain were rushed to the Sangre Grande District Hospital where they are warded in critical condition. At the Rahim home yesterday, the deceased’s mother, Betty, said she was not aware that her son, the second of her four children, went to lime at Guayaguayare on Saturday night. Betty, who has been ailing for sometime, told Newsday: “I know he went to a Sports and Family Day in the Community Centre (which is two houses away)”. The grieving mother cried: “He was a very loving person. He had his ways, but he was always there for me, especially when I was sick.” Rahim’s younger brother, Elvis, 18, was the last relative to have seen him alive. Elvis said: “About 9 pm I met him by the community centre and he was drunk. He told me he got a car for us to go to Guayafest, but when I told him I am not going, he left”. Mayaro Police are continuing investigations.