YOUNG COUPLE DIE IN CRASHBy CECILY ASSON and RHONDOR DOWLAT Thursday, September 2 2010
FOUR-YEAR-OLD Shivanni Sookbir was orphaned when her parents Prakash Sookbir, 25, and Michelle Ramdeen-Sookbir, 23, died instantly after their pick-up ran off the SS Erin Road in Debe and crashed into a utility pole and concrete wall during the early morning hours yesterday.
Little Shivanni escaped death, when her parents after taking her to a car show earlier on Independence Day, decided to drop her off at a relative’s home to spend the night, while they (the couple) continued their Independence Day liming with friends.
“They hardly stayed out late at night because Shivanni would cry for them. Oddly enough, when they dropped Shivanni off at her (the child) aunt Dianne’s home, she did not cry for her mother or father. She must have had her fill of liming with them at the car show,” Prakash’s father Winston said.
“I cannot believe my son and my daughter-in-law are dead. I never thought I would have to be going through this kind of trauma...of losing my son and daughter-in-law all at the same time,” he added.
According to a police report, the young family left their Chester Road, Debe home at 1 pm in Prakash’s black pick-up to go to a car show in Debe and engage in a curry duck lime with friends. After Prakash dropped off Shivanni at his sister Dianne’s home at 6 pm to spend the night, he and his wife continued their liming and according to accounts from their friends, visited several bars.
Shortly after 1 am yesterday, while heading home, Prakash ran his pick-up off the SS Erin Road in Debe and crashed into a utility pole and then a concrete wall.
Michelle, who police believe was not wearing her seatbelt at the time of the accident, was thrown out of the vehicle. The front windscreen of the pick-up was smashed. Husband and wife died at the scene of the crash.
Prakash was a self employed joiner and operated his woodwork shop behind his house while his Michelle was a full-time housewife. Winston told Newsday that at about 6 pm on Independence Day, the couple dropped off little Shivanni at the home of her aunt and returned to their evening of fun.
He said Prakash was not a “big limer” but occasionally went out. “They hardly stayed out late because Shivanni would always cry for them. They were a very close knit family,” Winston said.
“I heard they spent the entire night liming. They went from bar to bar. The last bar they went to lime and drink was along the SS Erin Road in Debe. This bar is located not too far from the area where the accident took place,” Winston said.
“I was in total shock when I visited the scene. Michelle was already dead and I met Prakash hanging on to the door of the van. He was still alive...barely. But the ambulance took about an hour to arrive and by that time, my son had died,” the weeping man said.
Relatives said Prakash and Michelle were childhood sweethearts who grew up in the same village. They got married four years ago. “They attended secondary school together. They limed together. They got married and now they died together. It is just so sad,” Winston, a father of three, stated.
Another relative described the deceased persons as “a model couple”. “They were probably the happiest couple in the world,” the relative said. “They were home together, they would go liming together and it is so ironic that they died together. They really loved each other,” the relative said.
“Prakash was a very nice person, very loving, very hardworking and loved to build cupboards and stuff. He loved Michelle and their little girl with all his heart. He never would have thought twice to help anyone in need and I know for a fact that he had no enemies. He and Michelle were two of a kind because she was the same way too. Those two, were two angels.”
The relative said that although Shivanni would now grow up without both of her parents, she would not lack love as everyone in the family is determined to play their part in ensuring she grows up with as normal a life as possible.
A post mortem is expected to be carried out on the bodies today at the San Fernando General Hospital. Debe police are continuing investigations. The road fatality toll inclusive of these two deaths is 138.
