By: Andrew Carmichael
The 18-year-old, who survived the fatal motorcycle crash in New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), on Boxing Night which left her unconscious and with broken limbs, has regained consciousness and is out of hospital.
The mother of one, Renita Prechand,who was the pillion rider on the motorcycle, which claimed the life of a 19-year-old welder, Vishan Ramphal, told INews that she did not know the teenager.
Still confined to a bed, the 18-year-old, who is now at La Bonne Intention (LBI), East Coast Demerara remembers she only met the rider whose bike she was on a short time before the crash.
Prechand said she was on the Corentyne trying to get transportation to a function when she saw a friend riding his motorcycle being accompanied by two other riders. The friend stopped and offered her a ride but told her to sit on his friend’s bike.
That friend was 19-year-old Vishan Ramphal, whose motorcycle crashed into the concrete base of the arch with a welcome sign at New Amsterdam – killing him on the spot.
Prechand said she along with the five others went to an entertainment centre.
“We drink two beers each and we leave to go to another club. When we reach I tried to get away from them and I go by the DJ booth and then Marlon (her friend) come and ask me if we could go to New Amsterdam at another club and ah tell him that I am not going. Then I see my child-father brother and I tried to get away from he and then when Ryan come and ask me if I am going to New Amsterdam, I tell him yes because I want to get away from my child-father brother.”
According to Prechand, her friend (Marlon) told her to ride with his friend, who was Ramphal.
“They going with all the speed and at Palmyra turn the one boy with me trying to go in front but Marlon bracing him on the right; they were racing all the way. When we reach in New Amsterdam, I can’t remember what happened,” the teenager said.
Police had released a statement on the crash saying that the motorcar bearing registration number, PJJ 3534, collided with the motorcycle, causing the rider and pillion rider to be flung into the air and subsequently crash into the concrete arch block.
At the scene, police found a car light and a lug nut belonging to the car which reportedly fled the scene after the accident. The registration plate number was engraved on the light.
The dead teenager’s father, Narendra Ramphal said that they were able to locate the car and went to Alness Village where a car (registration number withheld) was found in a garage.
He said that he had taken along a police officer to show him the car they were looking for and the officer asked the owner whether the car had been driven in recent times. The owner said it has been down for the past five months.
Ramphal said the officer acted in doubt as to one of the digits which the police had already confirmed and stated that he had to contact the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).
A photograph of the car taken at that time and shared with this publication shows that one of the lights from the front of the vehicle was missing and seems to match the light found by police on Boxing Night.
However, Ramphal said he also took the opportunity and briefly inspected the vehicle.
“The left side of the car under the light has a dent – it is a big dent and the windscreen at the top of the car crack.”
He said there was evidence of fresh drips of oil on the ground coming from the vehicle.
“If the car park for five months now, the oil cannot drip,” Ramphal contended. These developments have been shared with the regional Commander Shivpersaud Bacchus.
Meanwhile, investigations are ongoing.
