Mom, son, 11, killedBy CECILY ASSON Friday, November 20 2009
Proclamation of the breathalyser law has not put the break on the road carnage as three more persons lost their lives in accidents yesterday.
A mother, her young son and a national volleyball player are the latest casualties of crashes which occurred early yesterday morning.
Housewife Sharda Harridass, 33, and her son Nicholas Collins-Dean, 11, died after a crash on the SS Erin Main Road, at about 1.45 am, while Mark Daly, captain of the national men’s volleyball team was killed in an accident on the Solomon Hochoy Highway.
Harridass and Nicholas were passengers in a white rented Toyota Fielder driven by her boyfriend Rudy Perriera, 53, who crashed into a culvert, near the Palo Seco Credit Union on the Madhosingh Stretch, SS Erin Main Road, Santa Flora. On impact, Harridass pitched out of the car and died on the spot. Nicholas and Perreria were taken to the San Fernando General Hospital, where the young boy died from severe head and chest injuries. Nicholas was a standard three student of the Erin Road Presbyterian Primary School. Perreria suffered a minor injury to his right hand and was warded under observation. The mangled wreck is now at the Santa Flora Police Station.
The deaths of Harridass and her son has left their family sad, angry and confused.
Harridass and Nicholas lived in a room downstairs the home of her parents Kenrick, 65, and Rajdaye Goberdhan, 50, at Ramdass Trace, Quarry Village, Santa Flora.
Her older brother Devanand Harridass, 35, said she left the home with Nicholas at about 5.30 pm on Wednesday but no one knew where they were going.
“Nobody know where they were going, she didn’t say. Nicholas attended school as usual, returned home and he left in company with his mother,” he said.
Devanand said when his father got up and went downstairs yesterday morning he saw that the padlock was still on the door of Harridass’ room and realised she and Nicholas never returned home the night before.
“The next thing we got a phone call from Nicholas’ father that he heard that his son was involved in an accident. He said they went to the police station for information and later visited the hospital. When we got there, Nicholas had already died. Doctors told us his lungs were punctured,” Devanand said.
Harridass’ mother Rajdaye and grandmother Dhanpatia Jankienanan were inconsolable as they cried in each other’s arms. Rajdaye said she tried to speak with her daughter before she left their home on Wednesday.
“She and Nicholas were leaving and I began talking to her but she never answered me. She wouldn’t talk and I don’t know why but I didn’t take it on because that is how it is sometimes with her. All my grandson tell me is that he was going out with mummy,” she said. “Nicholas was a very nice child who loved sports and music.” Post mortems on the mother and son are expected to be carried out today at the mortuary of the San Fernando General Hospital. Cpl Hospedales of the Santa Flora Police Station is investigating the accident. Six persons have died in road accidents between Sunday and yesterday.
