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A Honda Accord carrying six members of a Trinidadian family died after their car crashed on U.S. 58 in Virginia Tuesday afternoon. Police say the Accord's driver had lost control, overcorrected, and crossed the median before hitting an oncoming industrial drill rig.
The rig's driver Bill Sanderlin told the Daily News, "I don't know what happened on their side, but they came across kind of at a high rate of speed and they got airborne. I actually saw the bottom of their car for a second there. That's how high off the ground they were." The Accord ended up lodged under the rig, and the car caught fire. Five of the passengers died instantly, and a child, rescued from the Accord by Sanderlin's passenger and another passing driver, died later of mass trauma.
Because of the fire, there was little identification found at the scene. But it turned out that five of the passengers are children of Pamela Ramharrack of the Bronx (the sixth passenger still hasn't been identified). The News reports that Ramharrack is sending dental records and photographs to Virginia authorities and that when she told her husband, who still lives in Trinidad, he had a heart attack. The identified victims were between 11 and 25 years old.
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From Trinidad Express:
SIX Trinidadians were killed in Suffolk, Virginia, when the car they were travelling in flipped a median, collided with a truck and burst into flames.
Five of the victims are believed to be siblings but, because of the extent of the injuries, police are unable to determine their ages. A relative of the victims told the Express that their ages ranged from 12 to 25.
The identity of the sixth person remained unknown up to press time. The driver of the truck is seriously injured.
The crash, which happened on Tuesday afternoon, is believed to be the deadliest ever in Suffolk, a small town 350 miles south of New York.
According to police reports, Petrina Gopaul, Anthony Gopaul, Rawlins Gopaul, Anderson Gopaul and Jessica Gopaul were on their way to North Carolina when their Honda Accord crossed the median, skidded under a truck and burst into flames. Four of the victims died at the scene and another later in hospital.
The Gopauls are originally from Princes Town, a US relative told the Express.
Lieutenant Debbie George of the Suffolk Police Department said dental records may be needed to make a positive identification of the bodies.
The mother of the dead children was too distressed to talk when contacted by the Express. But a relative of five of those killed, Ramchand Ramnarine, who lives in New York, said that the family was in chaos after they learnt of the accident.
"Right now I'm trying to get a flight out of New York to Virginia to meet with authorities there," he said.
According to reports, Anthony Gopaul, who was believed to be the driver of the vehicle, was on his way to North Carolina to get car insurance.
Police are continuing their investigations and expect to make a positive identification of the bodies by early next week.
6 people in Honda Accord is an accident waiting to happen. The car is most like a 4 seater.
I am a trinidian also and me and my famly are so sad about what happen to all the family and there family also we know the pain you all are going thru we would say a pray for you all.
kishore & dian
I am the sister of the sixth unidentified body in the Virginia car crash my brother death was so sudden he's left to live in Newyork in October 2006, His mother never saw him since His name is Sahadeo Ugashwar, He's from guyana. he's the last child for his parents he left behind his older brother and sister. He was such a loving, caring, and very funny guy he was also boyfriend to Patrina Goupal. We love our brother dearly there is no one like him he's one in a million we miss him so much.I hurts so much that your gone.
Navin and Rena Ugashwar.