Gasparillo pensioner killed crossing highway

A GASPARILLO PENSIONER was killed on Friday evening while attempting to cross the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway near his home.

Police said Chankar Singh, 83, of Ramdass Street, St Charles was crossing the northbound lane of the highway around 3.30 pm when he was struck by a silver Nissan Tiida driven by a Chaguanas woman. He was taken to hospital by ambulance where he died shortly after.

Relatives were busy pressure washing the home in preparation for the wake and funeral when Newsday visited on Saturday. His granddaughter, Priya Seepersad told Newsday Singh left home earlier that morning for a doctor’s appointment for a check-up on his eyes in San Fernando. To get home, she said they were told on the scene by someone he jumped into a Chaguanas taxi and dropped off on the highway to get home.

While she was unsure if that’s a practice Singh was accustomed to doing, she said despite his old age he had an adventurous spirit and would often travel around the country.

“He’d go and ride bus and go and see places.”

Priya Seepersad, granddaughter of 83-year-old Chanakar Singh, who was knocked down while crossing the northbound lane of the Solomon Hochoy Highway in Gasparillo on September 27, speaks to Newsday on September 28. – Photo by Venessa Mohammed

Singh’s granddaughter-in-law Chelsea Seepersad added: “He’d go Mayaro, he’d go Vessigny, he’d go everywhere.”

They said he would often come home and share his day’s adventures with the family.

They said he wasn’t only limited to exploring TT and would also travel abroad, having returned from New York in July.

Priya said the family was shocked to hear of his tragic end and were still trying to cope with the loss.

The road death figure for 2024 now stands at 80, compared to 77 for the same period last year.

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