Victims were celebrating friend’s pre-retirement leave before accident – Police

ECD horrific smash-up

The investigation into the deadly Montrose Public Road accident which occurred on Wednesday has revealed that the four persons who met their demise were imbibing alcohol moments before the fateful accident.

A police source told Guyana Times on Thursday that one of the victims, Lyndon Pryce, 54, a machine operator at the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) of South Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was celebrating his pre-retirement leave at Le Bonne Intention (LBI). It was after leaving the popular spot, the accident occurred.
The other three victims who lost their lives have been identified as 31-year-old Latoya Jones of South Better Hope, ECD; 40-year-old Leknarine Sewpaul, an engineer of Da Silva Street, Newtown Kitty, Georgetown, and 35-year-old Christopher Bradshaw, also an engineer of Lot 106 Laluni Street, Queenstown, Georgetown.

Those injured are Marvin Hardy, 26, of Ann’s Grove, ECD; Nigel Andrews; Terrence Chance, 22, of Ann’s Grove, ECD; Eshan Simon and Okacho Josiah, 21, employees of Infab Industrial Steel Fabricators.
Police said that Jones was a passenger in the front seat of the car while Sewpaul and Pryce were in the back seat. According to reports, motor car PRR 2569 was proceeding west along the northern driving lane of the southern carriageway at a fast rate of speed.
However, while negotiating a right bend, the driver lost control of his vehicle, collided with the median and ended up on the northern carriageway, in the path of motor lorry GJJ 7150.
Occupants of the canter sustained serious injuries and were transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital but were later moved to a private city hospital by their employer.

When this publication visited the families of the four victims on Thursday, Bradshaw’s grieving sister explained that she got the news of the horrific accident via Facebook.
“On my way to the hospital, I then got a call from an uncle stating that he is not at the hospital but at the mortuary,” she added. As she reminisced on the time spent with her brother, she described him to be a selfless person who would ensure that everyone is happy. Bradshaw leaves to mourn one child.
On the other hand, Leknarine’s wife – Juliet Samaroo-Sewpaul, is still trying to cope with reality. She and her husband shared a 13-year marriage.
“I cannot think about his death because I didn’t even sleep, I had to see to believe that it was the right person,” she said while noting that her husband usually works one week on the marine ship and then comes home for a week. He was supposed to return home on Wednesday.

“He called and said that he is on his way home and then I didn’t know what happened. His sister call me and tell me what she saw on the internet. And then this morning (Thursday), we went to the station.” Sewpaul leaves to mourn three children aged 12, eight and six.
Meanwhile, over at Pryce’s residence, his wife, Cheryl, relayed that her husband left home just after 10:00h, to visit his mother but instead went to visit a few friends.
Lastly, when visited, the home of Jones – the lone female in the car – her stepmother, Loraine Jones, conveyed that she was a friend of Pryce and was returning home at the time of the accident.
“She and Pryce are friends, and she decided to go out with them, and on their way back, the car had a blowout,” Loraine Jones said as tears flowed.
Police Commander of Region 4 C, Khali Pareshram confirmed that empty alcoholic beverage bottles were found in the car at the time of the accident.
Police stated that the bodies were all escorted to Lyken Funeral Parlour, awaiting a post-mortem. (Shemar Alleyne)