Road Accident: 2016 starts gloomily

Accidents are a sad fact of life. Four people have lost their lives on our roads during the first week of January. Road accidents have made headlines of the Mauritian media, be it the press, radio or television. The number of people getting killed on our roads does not stop to shock people. 1st January 7, 2016 Mauritius has suffered a great loss when it comes to the sporting field. Yvan Pierrot (19), weightlifting medallist at the last island games, passed away in the night of January 1st. He was involved in an accident which occurred on the 31st December around 18:00 hrs. The incident took place at Nouvelle France. His car bumped into an electric pole. His funeral took place on January 1st. The cause of the accident remains unknown. He was one of the best weightlifters in Mauritius and was the pride of his sports federation. 3rd January 3rd January was marked by the deaths of a former police Inspector, Deosaran Kowlessur and Jayram Unmar, a former Assistant Commissioner of Police. Deosaran Kowlessur (77) resident of Coromandel was killed in the morning of January 3. He left home for a walk when he was hit by a pick-up truck driven by Daniel Lagaillard who was drunk. Following his arrest, a provisional charge of involuntary homicide was lodged against him. He appeared before the Bail and Remand Court where police objected to his bail. That same day, at around 21:30 hrs, a vehicle driven by Mervin Nicolas Juana Fritz, (36), knocked Jayram Unmar. The accident happened at Avenue Belle Rose, Quatre Bornes. The victim was taken to hospital by the ambulance services and he was pronounced dead at the hospital. According to the autopsy report, severe extra-cranial injuries caused his death. Mervin Fritz had 59 micrograms of alcohol in his body. Charged with a provisional involuntary homicide, the police objected to his release on bail. He will appear before the Rose-Hill tribunal on January 8. 5th January Sobhanand Seelochurn, resident of Piton, was victim of a hit and run. The thirty-something was helping his mother to dispose of some garbage. He went on the road for a breath of fresh air and a short walk. While he was standing near an electrical pole, not far from his mother, he got hit by a van. Sarojini, the victim’s mother says she saw the van run over her son. Sobhanand was immediately taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. After his arrest, Sachin Jokhoo denied being behind the wheels but admitted driving through Piton. He will appear before the Mapou Court.