Mothers react to death of their children in Corentyne smash-up

BROKEN: Tomakia Solomon, Amanda Small and Patricia Georgeson

By Farah Valentina Bates

Tomaika Solomon, Patricia Georgeson and Amanda Small are three mothers who were yesterday morning greeted with the devastating news of their children’s deaths in Corentyne’s latest fatal accident.

The deceased – 20-year-old Jessica Gallaway, 21-year-old Kwesi Lewis and 25-year-old Reon Moriah – were having an evening of celebration at a Summer Splash beach party in Alness Village, when they met their demise just around midnight on Sunday, minutes after leaving the party.

Simeon Alder, driver of one of the vehicles (PWW 582) that was involved in the accident, was speeding when the car crashed into a lorry that was parked on the Whim Public Road. According to the young man, they were heading to Rose Hall to drop Gallaway home, before heading to Skeldon where the two other occupants lived.

Tomaika Solomon, a 38-year-old mother of four, said she last spoke to her son, Kwesi Lewis about two weeks ago, after he left for Berbice on time-off from work. Lewis, described as a dedicated and respectable young man, and member of the Guyana Defence Force, was scheduled to leave Berbice on Thursday to head for Timehri where he was based.

DEAD: Kwesi Lewis

Distraught and heartbroken to lose her first-born at such a young age, Solomon said she always encouraged her son to pursue his dreams, and so he joined the Guyana Defence Force just over one year ago.

“He finished school and he used to do masonry in Corriverton, so one day I sat with him and told him, son, you have all your CSEC subjects, you should seek a good job. He listened to me and did a medical and everything to join the police force, but then one day he came to me and said ‘mommy I will join the Army’. I told him to go ahead, and he wrote the exam and joined the army.”

Lewis celebrated his 21st birthday one day before his sudden death.

Amanda Small, Jessica Gallaway’s mother, has since been left traumatized and cannot come to grips with what happened to her only child. Inconsolable, through her constant sobbing she could be heard repeating, “My baby Jessica, why you leave me? Why you leave me?”

DEAD: Jessica Gallaway

Gallaway was an aspiring teacher and loved spending time with her family and friends whenever she had spare time.

Meanwhile, Patricia Georgeson, who lost the second of her five boys, said her son, Reon Moriah, was a pleasant young man, and was recently blessed with the being a father to a now four-month-old son.

DEAD: Reon Moriah

The young man, who resided at Lot 8 Circle Street, Corriverton, last spoke to his mother before he left home, but did not indicate to her where he was headed. The grieving mother said she received a call at about 1 o’clock yesterday morning that her son was involved in an accident and died.

“I reach at the hospital, and like I could not believe that was my son – covered in blood and laying down straight on the bed – I felt like screaming for my baby. I can’t believe I lost my son in such a horrific manner,” the woman said.

Both mothers of the two young men who died, told this publication that when they spoke to the driver, Alder, all he said to them was that the truck did not have any lights.

However, the parents remained calm, as they said it was an unfortunate event and it could’ve happened to anyone. They believe that he [the driver] fell asleep while driving, since there was a first collision with another car, PGG 9262, and the lorry, after which the vehicle carrying Alder, Lewis, Moriah and Gallaway slammed into the said lorry.

While there were people flocked around the accident scene of the first crash victims who received minor injuries, Alder is alleging that he did not see any vehicle or anyone on the road.