DPP orders inquest into road death

AN inquest will be held into the death of Ryan Rampersad, the 26-year-old of Williamsville, who was knocked down by a car in October last year. The driver of the car told police he was attacked by bandits. Another man who was with Rampersad, Anthony Smith of San Fernando, was also injured. Police had first arrested the driver, a 32-year-old man of Tarouba Village, San Fernando, following the accident in Gasparillo on October 26. Yesterday, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Roger Gaspard, ordered that an inquest be conducted into Rampersad’s death. Rampersad, of Kumar Village, a father of one, died at the Intensive Care Unit of the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) on October 28, two days after the incident. Smith, 19, of Alexander Street in San Fernando was warded at SFGH for six days.

Both Rampersad and Smith, salesmen at KC Confectionery, were knocked down shortly before midnight while walking along the Harmony Hall Road. They were laying unconscious on the side of the road for sometime before passers-by notified the police. An EHS ambulance rushed both men to SFGH. Smith suffered a broken leg. An autopsy performed on Rampersad’s body revealed he died from cranio-cerebral injuries and internal bleeding. After the arrest of the driver, from whom a statement was obtained, he was released and a file on the incident was sent to Gaspard. The Assistant DPP instructed police investigators to conduct further enquiries into the incident. More reports on the incident were submitted in December last year. Acting Cpl Steve Persad conducted the investigations.