“He promised me he was coming home” – mother of man killed in Berbice crash

Family and residents of the 22-year-old man who died in a crash on Sunday have called for removal of a derelict vehicle that had been parked along the Crabwood Creek roadway for more than 20 years. The grieving mother of Vinode Jeetendra Deo is calling for local authorities to remove derelict vehicles from public roadways after her son was killed on Sunday evening when the motorcycle he was riding crashed into an abandoned Tapir truck parked along the Crabwood Creek roadway.

The Public Works Ministry have over the past months been calling on persons who have parked vehicles, vending stalls and derelict on road shoulders to remove them. In several instances the Ministry was forced to remove the vehicles themselves as a result of non-compliance by owners. Deo, 22, a construction worker of Crabwood Creek, Corentyne died on Sunday and a Post-Mortem Examination conducted on Monday by Government Pathologist Dr Vivakanand Brijmohan determined that he died as a result of a fractured skull. Speaking with this publication, the young man’s mother, Shavnie Motiram, recalled the last conversation she had with her son just hours before the fatal accident. “In the afternoon we came from work and called him on the phone. We told him to come home and he said yes, he would come home. He was right around the village area,” she related. Motiram said that conversation took place at about 15:30h. The mother said she later received a phone call informing her that her son had been involved in an accident. “He promised me he was going to come home. While he was coming back, I got a phone call that there was an accident on the roadside,” she said. Initially given incorrect directions, Motiram said she went straight to the hospital where she eventually saw her injured son. “I see his foot bent up, but I didn’t get to see his face,” she recalled.

The grieving mother said she was later informed by doctors that her son had succumbed to his injuries. According to information she received, Deo’s motorcycle collided with an old Tapir truck that had been parked on the roadside for years.
“I understand he was going over the road and then he crashed into the old Tapir on the road,” she said.
“They should remove them vehicles, because it’s a public road. Clear it up,” she urged. She expressed concern that similar tragedies could occur if abandoned vehicles continue to occupy public roadways. According to the mother, the vehicle had been sitting at the location for decades. “Over 20 years the Tapir is there,” she said. Describing her son, Motiram said he was hardworking, friendly and always willing to assist others. “He works construction with his father. He does all kinds of work. He’s a friendly person and very helpful. Everybody in this area knows him.”

Derelict vehicles
Meanwhile, residents of the area echoed her concerns and called for action to be taken against derelict vehicles abandoned along public roads. Anushka Ramjass described the abandoned truck as a hazard. “It is a piece of junk. It doesn’t need to be there. If somebody swerves and runs into the drain, they may get injured but still survive. Something like this shouldn’t happen,” she said. Another resident, Anika Deen, said the accident was not the first involving a parked vehicle. “It is not the first time an accident happened with a parked vehicle on the road. If a vehicle is not working, it should be placed in a yard or sent to a junkyard somewhere else,” she said. The mangled Tapir truck remained at the roadside on Monday, its front section heavily damaged from the collision.
Police are continuing investigations.