Husband dead, wife critical after Rupert Craig Highway crash

A late-night accident on the Rupert Craig Highway at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown on Friday has resulted in the death of a Health Ministry staffer and his wife being critically injured.

Dead is 30-year-old Rabindra Surujdin, known as ‘Robin,’ who was manager of the Institute of Health Sciences Education (IHSE) at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). His wife, 33-year-old Sophia MacDougal, has been injured in the crash, and is a patient at the GPHC’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
The accident occurred at about 22:30h on Friday, as the couple, who resided at Lot 464 Block 8, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD), were reportedly heading in an easterly direction along the northern carriageway of the Rupert Craig Highway in their motorcar, PAE 1926.
According to reports, Surujdin was driving the vehicle, and while in the vicinity of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention at Liliendaal, he lost control of the vehicle and it collided with the concrete median.

The impact caused the car to spin out of control, resulting in another collision with a concrete culvert on the northern side of the roadway before the vehicle eventually came to a halt in a nearby drain.
Public-spirited persons pulled both Surujdin and MacDougal from the heavily damaged vehicle, and an ambulance from the GPHC was called. Emergency Medical Technicians pronounced Surujdin dead on the spot, while MacDougal, who sustained head injuries, was transported to the GPHC. The Police are currently conducting further investigations into the circumstances surrounding the accident.
Meanwhile, GPHC, in a statement issued on Saturday, expressed deep sadness over the untimely passing of Surujdin. ‘Robin’ was described as a beacon of light who had brought warmth and humour to those around him.
“Robin was pleasant and always willing, and made any project he was a part of an enjoyable and easier experience for others: he was an exceptional human being who was respected and loved by all who knew him. This is a great loss for our institution, our country, and humanity,” part of the statement read. (G9)