'They were inseparable' – Mother of crash victim hopes for joint funeral with best friend

RISHARD KHAN

THE mother of a crash victim who was found dead along with his best friend on August 4 is hoping both could be laid to rest after a co-ordinated funeral.

Ryan Ramnanan, 29, of Tulsa Trace, San Francique and Sachen Teeluckdharry, 27, of Clarke Road, Penal were found dead on August 4, when the Hunters Search and Rescue Team found Teeluckdharry's destroyed Nissan Navara in the Cipero River under the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway.

Speaking to Newsday at the family's San Francique home Ramnanan's mother Soma said he and Teeluckdharry met while attending Shiva Boy's Hindu College.

She said the two had become inseparable over the years, and would always spend time together, with Ramnanan often staying over at Teeluckdharry's.

Ramnanan's older brother, Sahadeo "Rishi" Ramnanan, said the friends even limed together the week before the accident.

Soma said she believed it would be fitting for Ramnanan and Teeluckdharry to receive a joint send-off, given that they died together after having a history of doing everything together in life.

"I want the funeral together, but I don't know how that side (Teeluckdharry's family) go plan, you know?"

An autopsy is yet to be done and the family is still uncertain  what could have led to the tragic end of the two.

"I don't know if it's bad drive, I don't know if it's sleep away or if it's wet roads. I really cannot say," Ramnanan's brother said.

Their families reported Ramnanan and Teelukdharry missing when they did not return home from liming on August 3.

They were last seen around 3.30 am on August 4 by some friends who passed them on the southbound lane of the Solomon Hochoy Highway near Gasparillo.

Ramnanan's father, Ramesh "Bobby" Ramnanan, said he was last seen at home around 8.30 pm on Saturday, where he spent the bulk of the day with his brother and preparing a meal for his girlfriend of three months.

Now that his brother was gone, Rishi was grateful for the impromptu time he spent with Ramnanan on Saturday. He said he woke up that morning and decided to stay home to rest after working consecutive extended hours at PCS Nitrogen on a plant shutdown.

"That was the most cherished day ever. Because the hours me and he does work, we don't be spending time so. Very rare we does lime together. Only when family come, and that's once a year."

Rishi said he ran errands with Ramnanan from around 1 pm and arrived home around 5 pm, when they also limed in the hammock for the next hour. That's when he said Ramnanan received a message from Teeluckdharry to go and lime in Chaguanas with some other friends. Rishi said he was unclear exactly where they went, but he received a video of them at a club in Port of Spain.

Rishi said the last moment they spent together was when Ramnanan took him to visit a cousin in Gopie Trace while on his way to visit his girlfriend.

Ramnanan's parents said they did not think much of it when he did not return that night, as it was routine for him to stay at Teeluckdharry's if they got home late from a night out.

Soma said she only realised Ramnanan had not returned from liming when Teeluckdharry's father showed up at her home on August 4 asking if the two had spent the night there.

"He say, 'Sachen ain't spend the night by you?' I say no. I say, 'I thought they spend the night by you.' He say, 'No, they ain't come home.' In my mind now, I say something wrong."

Trying to remain optimistic, she said she just told herself they might have gone somewhere else to lime. However, Ramnanan's father would later also report him missing.

By then, Soma said she was worried, especially after seeing her son's picture circulating on social media as a missing person.

"I thought they get kidnapped, because that hour is like bandit hour, the hour them was coming home."

While at the Penal Police Station later that day, Rishi received a call saying Teeluckdharry's pickup had been found in the Ciperio River.

Bobby and Rishi both went to the site.

At the same time, Soma said she was at home alone when she received a call from the Hunters' Search and Rescue Teamto say her son had been found dead. Fearing for her husband's safety while driving, she said she decided to bear the burden of the news alone for the time being.

"I say I not going to call him to tell him what I know already, because they done going up there: when they reach they would see for themselves."

Bobby arrived in time to witness the TT Fire Service cutting the vehicle open to remove the bodies.

"I was like screaming. I was in a mess...I was going crazy," Bobby said.

He and Rishi identified the bodies at the scene.

Bobby said even Ramnanan's dog, Sophie, was feeling his absence often looking worried and lying on the ground depressed.

Although distraught over the loss of their son, Ramnanan's parents are comforted by knowing he lived a full and eventful life.

"The amount of things Ryan do: he played tassa, he liked fishing, Ryan went hiking...he liked he liming," his mother said.

During a visit to Teeluckdharry's Clarke Road home on Monday morning, Newsday was told his father was too shaken up to speak to the media.

Police said investigations were still in their early stages but the autopsies were expected to be done on August 6 at the San Fernando General Hospital.