Carnage on the roads continued over the weekend with a nine-year-old boy among four people who lost their lives in accidents. Dead are San Fernando father of two, Doodnath Steve Sirju; San Juan Laventille Regional Corporation worker Rajin Ragoonanan and Siparia schoolboy Keiron Taylor. Their deaths add to Saturday’s fatal accident, in which Point Fortin lifeguard Joel Billy Taitt drowned after his car ran off the Petrotrin Forest Reserve Road, Fyzabad, and overturned in a river.
Burnt to death in BMW
In the latest accident, 33-year-old Doodnath Steve Sirju, director of Dhanesar Sirju and Sons Ltd, was driving on the Beetham Highway around 3.20 am yesterday in his BMW 740i. Investigators believe the father of two, from Tarouba Road, Marabella, fell asleep at the wheel before the car crashed into a tree near the Beetham landfill. So severe was the impact the car was ripped in two before bursting into flames with Sirju trapped inside. The death came as a shock for his family as they told the T&T Guardian no one knew where he was heading. His sister, Mala, said he left home around 6 pm on Sunday to lime with relatives in the area and returned home around 2 am yesterday.
However, she said, he left home again without anyone knowing. Mala added: “He was hanging out with his friends and they dropped him home around 2 am this morning then he took his car and he left but no one heard. “Upon arrival at the crash we saw the car in two pieces. He was in part of the car.” The body was so badly burnt that relatives were only able to identify him because of a slight foot deformity and the watch on his wrist. The death was especially tragic as Mala said his daughter, Hailee, and wife, Charlene, were expected to return to the country last night from their vacation in the US. She said Sirju was on vacation but came back last Thursday. Charlene fell ill during the trip and remained in the US to undergo medical examinations. Sirju was expected to leave Trinidad last night to rejoin his family. She added he had recently started building a home for his family.
Valsayn man slams into truck
Rajin Ragoonanan, of Bamboo Settlement No 1, Valsayn, died on the spot when his gold Nissan Almera crashed head-on into a dump truck. Police said around 7 pm on Sunday, Ragoonanan was driving along Xeres Road, Freeport, but failed to stop at the intersection with the Carlsen Field Main Road and slammed into the truck. Police, led by Cpl Ali and WPC Ramsey, visited the scene.
Boy, 9, killed on bicycle
Police are also investigating the death of a nine-year-old boy who was knocked down, along with his 14-year-old friend, while riding a bicycle on Saturday night. Investigators said around 7.15 pm, Keiron Taylor, of Saney Street, was sitting on the handlebars of a bicycle ridden by Affan Gopaul, when they were hit by a car driven by a 37-year-old Siparia woman. Both boys were taken to the Siparia Health Centre where Taylor was pronounced dead on arrival. Gopaul, of Coora Road, Siparia, was warded in a serious condition up to yesterday at the San Fernando General Hospital.