Fisherman’s head severed as speeding drunk driver kills 2 on pedal cycle
It was a chaotic scene on the Essequibo Coast on Tuesday when residents were confronted with the beheaded body of a fisherman and the remains of another Essequibo Coast man following a fatal accident on the Devonshire Public Road, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).
Dead are Mohan Maniram, 51, a fisherman of Hampton Court, Essequibo Coast, and Zamaan Rafeek, 22, Paradise, Essequibo Coast.
Police said the accident occurred at about 00:50h and involved motor car PAD 831 (black Toyota fielder wagon) owned and driven by a 21-year-old, and the two men who were on a bicycle.
Investigation revealed that motor car PAD 831 was proceeding west on the southern driving lane on Devonshire Castle public road at a fast rate of speed, while pedal cyclists Maniram and Rafeek were proceeding in the same direction on the southern side of the road.
The driver of the car collided with Maniram and both men ended up in a trench which is located on the southern side of the road.
As a result of the accident, Maniram’s head became detached from his body and was left on the northern carriageway.
As a result of the collision, the driver of the motor car lost control and ended up in a trench which is located on the northern side of the said road, approximately fifty yards from the point of impact.
Police said following the accident, the driver exited the vehicle and fled the scene.
The lifeless body of Maniram was fished out of the trench and conveyed to the Suddie Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival and subsequently taken to the mortuary.
Shortly after, the lifeless body of Rafeek was discovered in the same trench on the southern side of Devonshire Castle Public Road, Essequibo Coast, clad in a yellow jersey and long black pants.
Based on information received, Police arrested the driver at about 01:30h on Tuesday and he was escorted to the Anna Regina Police Station and placed into custody. A breathalyser test was conducted on him, and the readings proved that he was above the prescribed limit of alcohol.
Speaking with Guyana Times, Maniram’s sister, Bissoondai Maniram, said that the two men were heading to the seaside to check on their seine, when the accident occurred.
The sister said that after the car collided with the men, Maniram’s head was left on the roadway while people went searching for his body in the vicinity. They claimed that after Rafeek’s body was flung into a nearby trench, the mangled bicycle was hurled several feet and rested at the corner of the parapet while the car plunged into a nearby trench.
“The head deh about 10ft away from him…we see everything but we couldn’t do anything, till this morning (Tuesday) around 3 o’clock, they move he from there and carry the parlour,” Bissoondai Maniram related.
Meanwhile, the mother of Rafeek, Saleena Shakoor, told this newspaper that her son was the sole breadwinner and was always there to make sure that she received a daily meal.
“My son is the sole breadwinner of my family…he provides everything for me and he usually fish with his friend who also died in the accident to provide and support the family. My son went missing so I went to the Anna Regina Police Station and made a report and they told me my son was involved in an accident and he died and his body was picked up in the trench,” the grieving mother said.
Both families are calling for swift justice for their loved ones.