Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jul 08, 2008 News
The grandmother of two of the victims of the Land of Canaan accident says that, had she been aware that her grandsons, Jason and Julian Martin, were at the creek, she would have gone there to collect them.
Speaking to this newspaper, attorney-at-law Gwendolyn Bristol believes that, had her grandsons showed up at the church service, which they initially left to attend, they would have been alive today.
This tragedy, she says, has left a permanent scar on her entire family. According to Bristol, the tragedy comes at a time when the family is hosting its annual reunion, which over the years has become a tradition for the Bristol family.
“For years we would hold reunions, but what is special about this one is the fact that it is being held in Guyana,” Bristol said.
Having lost her two grandsons, she said, her household will not be participating in the other activities that were planned for the reunion. Among these was a family fun day, which was held yesterday at the National Park.
“I was planning, along with my grandsons and others from my household, to be at the park today (yesterday), but would rather stay at home, since we have two deaths to come to grips with,” the grieving woman said.
She, however, indicated that dozens of her other relatives, both from overseas and locally, have gone ahead with the activities as planned.
Meanwhile, recounting the events leading up to the accident, she said she last saw her grandsons earlier on Sunday.
She related that both of the young men were supposed to be at a church service which was the first activity planned to commence the reunion activities.
The woman said she last saw Jason at around 9 hrs at home before leaving for the church service, which was held at the National Gymnasium.
The last time she saw Julian was at about an hour later that same morning. She recalled asking Julian to run an errand for her before leaving the house.
“I asked Julian to go to the shop, but he was taking a while and I didn’t want to be late for the church service, so I left…a while after, he called me and told me he was in the yard and hadn’t the key to get into the house, so I send Jason for him,” Bristol recalled.
Upon noticing that her grandsons had not returned to the service, she tried contacting them via their cellular phones.
“When I called, they kept telling me all sorts of things and saying they were at various locations, because they know I had no idea they were going at the creek,”
“Everybody else knew they were at the creek, but I had no idea that they were at the creek…they know me and know that if I knew they were there I would have gone and bring them home,” Bristol added.
For the next several hours she tried unsuccessfully to locate her grandsons. The next time she would see them they would be dead.
Late Sunday evening, Bristol received a phone call which informed her that Julian and Jason were involved in an accident. Hoping for the best, Bristol said, after receiving the news, she immediately rushed down to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where her worst fears were confirmed.
Bristol, like the relatives of the other victims, was greeted at the hospital with the news of her grandsons’ deaths.
Others who perished in the accident include 16-year-old Esra Ferguson, 19-year-old Colin Ferguson, and 27-year-old Royston Dempster, all of Plaisance, East Coast Demerara.
Initial reports had stated that, on Sunday, the five men were at a creek on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, where they were reportedly consuming alcohol.
At some time around 21:00hours, while heading north along the East Bank of Demerara road in the vicinity of Land of Canaan, their car collided with an SUV.
Also seriously injured in the accident was 10-year-old Priya Ally, who is currently hospitalized at the Georgetown Public Hospital and listed as critical.
Priya, her aunt Nazeema Ally, and uncle Hemnauth Agard, were walking along the public road when the speeding car which was involved in the accident struck them.
Meanwhile, in the wake of a series of fatal accidents over the past four days, the Guyana Police Force has issued a statement calling on road users to be more careful on the roadways.
Last Thursday evening, on the Essequibo Coast, two men, Gancham Singh and Totaram Davanand, perished in an accident after the car they were in collided with a parked lorry before bursting into flames.
On Friday evening, on the Uitvlugt Public Road, West Coast Demerara, police constable Dexter Henry and pedestrian Joan Leitch perished in another accident. On Sunday, at Caledonia on the East Bank of Demerara, there was another fatal accident which resulted in one death.
At around 17:45hours on Sunday, motor car PJJ 8090, driven by 33-year-old Anthony Collymore, of Camp Street, Georgetown, was proceeding along the Caledonia Public Road when it collided with 50-year-old Edgar Daniels, who was walking along the roadway. He was taken to the GPHC, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
To date, 59 persons have lost their lives as a result of road accidents for this year, compared to one hundred for the corresponding period last year.
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