By: Andrew Carmichael
Shunika Henry is struggling to come to grips with the loss of her daughter in the horrific accident at De Hoop, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD) that claimed the lives of two persons.
The two-vehicle collision has left Kellon Jones called “Backless”, 33, of Fort Ordinance, East Canje, Berbice; Jason Rudder, 37, and his daughter, Jamella Rudder, 11, of Glasgow Housing Scheme; and Chris Gonsalves, 26, of Cane Grove, East Coast Demerara (ECD) dead.
At the time of the accident, Jones was the driver of a motor car bearing registration number PMM 7104 with four passengers including the Rudders, Shelly Harry, 50, of Fort Ordinance and Ramjawan. The other car, PPP 4090, was driven by Gonsalves, and he was only occupant.
According to the Police, Jones was heading to Berbice while Gonsalves was heading in the opposite direction at a fast rate of speed and under the influence of alcohol. The cars reportedly collided head-on.
Both drivers, along with the occupants, received injuries and were pulled from the wreckage with severe body injuries. They were rushed to the Mahaicony Public Hospital where Rudder and his daughter along with Gonsalves and Jones were pronounced dead.
Harry and Ramjawan were treated, but while Ramjawan was sent away, Harry was transferred to Georgetown Public Hospital suffering from a fractured right leg.
Reports are that Gonsalves had just left a bar in a drunken state even though persons warned him not to drive under the influence.
At the time of the accident, Jones was working his car as a taxi and would have left Georgetown with the four passengers. The 11-year-old Rudder had earlier in the day attended a bursary award ceremony at her father’s place of employment – GuyOil – where she was honoured for her performance at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).
Speaking with her mother on Sunday, she related that her daughter was awarded a place at President’s College and had returned home after her first week because she needed her old school uniform to attend the award ceremony.
“We had decided that she would come home once every term or once every month,” the aggrieved mother said with tears in her eyes.
“Yesterday (Saturday) I bathe and dress her and tied her ribbon and carried her out and put her in a car in New Amsterdam. It was she and her father. I called her at 12 o’clock and she said she was not finished as yet and she told me she would call when she was finished. She didn’t call and then last night I got a call saying that she and her father met in an accident and she is no more.”
“She said, ‘Mom, I will pass and make you proud. She said, ‘Mommy, if I pass to go to a school in town, will you send me?’ And I told her yes.”
Meanwhile, Jones was described as a very jovial person by his mother, Coretta Gomes, who stated that he always smiled brightly. “He always says nice things to people. He was a loving child.”
Gomes stated that she heard of the accident through one of her son’s friends who went to the scene. “And then he called back and said ‘Backless’ gone, he gone’.”
