-‘He was excited about the job offer, as employment in his community was almost impossible to come by’
A grieving Karen Nicholson is still trying to come to grips with the death of her son, 29-year-old Arthur Fitzgerald Carter, called ‘Tonyboy’, a construction worker, who perished when the car he was a passenger in, collided with a minibus on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway on Monday, May 19.
According to Nicholson, her son had left his Lot 30 Edward Street, Rosignol home to commence work as a construction worker. He was excited about the job offer, as employment in his community was almost impossible to come by. She said that she still cannot believe that he is dead.
“When the call was made to his phone a policeman answered. We wondered what trouble he might have gotten himself in, but when the policeman at the other end of the phone said he was dead, I could not believe….it was afterwards then I realised my son was no more.”
Nicholson recalled her son telling her of the job offer two days prior to his death. “He awoke at 02.00 hours on Sunday, telling me he was leaving. I told him it’s too early, but he said he was not afraid. He then called someone, telling that person he was walking out. My son waved goodbye and I wished him God’s blessings.”
Carter had been employed by a contractor, Kowmalram Ramin, who was constructing a building at Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara. He was the driver of the car and he too died.
Ramin’s sister-in-law, Mala Evans, stated that the family became aware of the accident through social media and subsequently travelled to Georgetown where the body of their loved one was identified at the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home. She added that the two men were returning to Berbice when the fatal accident occurred.
Police had reported a fatal accident which occurred at about 05.10 hours on Monday, May 19, on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, in the vicinity of Adventure. It involved a car – PLL 6554, driven by Ramin, a 40-year-old from West Coast Berbice, and a lone occupant, Carter, a 29-year-old from Rosignol, West Berbice, and a minibus – BAE 1526, driven by Immanuel Dorris, a 32-year-old of Central Amelia’s Ward, Mackenzie, Linden. There were several passengers on the bus.
Investigations revealed that the minibus was proceeding north along the highway whilst the car was proceeding in the opposite direction.
According to the minibus driver, he noticed the car approaching at a fast rate, and as it reached a section of the road that was under construction, the driver lost control of the car, skidded, and ended up in the path of the minibus. The minibus driver said he applied the brakes but could not avoid a collision.
The driver and occupant of the car, as well as the driver and passengers of the minibus, all suffered injuries. The minibus driver and passengers were assisted by public-spirited citizens and conveyed to the Linden Hospital Complex, where they were all examined and kept for observation.
The driver and occupant of the car were taken out of the vehicle, and transported by police to the Linden Hospital Complex, where they were both pronounced dead on arrival. Their bodies were subsequently taken to the hospital mortuary to await post-mortem examinations. Investigations are ongoing
