“Happy Father’s Day” were the last words Rennie Ramlochan said to his father, Munasar, on Sunday as he left for work in San Fernando. But Father’s Day turned into a nightmare for Munasar when Rennie, the second of his four children, was involved in a car crash while returning home later that evening. He died while undergoing treatment at the San Fernando General Hospital.
Police reported that Ramlochan, 34, a machinist with IAL Engineering Services Ltd. was driving along the Digity Tasker Road in his grey Mazda 3 around 6.20 pm at the same time Sherwin Basdeo was travelling in the opposite direction in his blue Peugeot 307.
They crashed head on causing damage so severe that officers from the Mon Repos Fire Station had to use the “jaws of life” to free them from the wreckage. At their Musarapp Trace, Barrackpore, home yesterday, Munasar said when he heard about the accident and rushed to the scene, he knew his son’s injuries were critical.
“When I arrived, he was already on a stretcher and when I saw that big cut on his face, I knew it was critical. At the hospital, they told us they were doing their best and they were putting things in his mouth, checking his pulse and trying to revive him. A little while later, the doctors came out and said they did all that they could do,” Munasar said.
With no houses near the dark area of the crash, Munasar did not want to speculate as to how the accident happened and who was responsible. He said his son neither smoked nor drank alcohol. Munasar battled to hold back his emotion as he recalled the last moment with his son.
There was no Father’s Day lime at the home and Rennie, who was not on duty, was called out to work so he left around 1 pm. Because it was a “call out”, Munasar said, he did not know what time Rennie was expected to return home.
Police said Basdeo remained warded in a serious condition in hospital up to last night and was yet to give a statement. Cpl Rampersad of the Barrackpore Police Station is continuing enquiries.