Injured mom hopes to attend baby’s funeral

Palo Seco mother Josanne Charles may get her wish to bid a final farewell to her five-month-old baby, Somayah, who was killed, along with PH taxi driver Johnlee Apping, on Saturday morning in a two-car accident along the SS Erin Road. 

Charles mother, Merlin, speaking with the T&T Guardian, said arrangements were being made to have her daughter discharged this morning to attend Somayah’s funeral which is tentatively set for later today. 

Charles, a 24-year-old mother of three, of M’Estelle Road, Palo Seco, was severely injured in Saturday’s accident which claimed both the life of her daughter’s and Apping. She is warded at the San Fernando General Hospital in serious condition. Merlin said next Tuesday Charles will have to undergo surgery on both of her hands. 

On Monday Merlin said doctors were hesitant about releasing her daughter to attend the funeral. On Wednesday she said Charles’ condition had improved and she would most likely be allowed to attend the funeral. 

However on Wednesday the grandmother said the funeral may have to be pushed back to late this evening or even tomorrow as the family up to late Wednesday afternoon was waiting for Somayah’s autopsy to be conducted at the Forensic Sciences Centre, in St James. 

“We have been here since morning waiting. They say it have plenty bodies waiting for autopsy. I do not know if they doing her autopsy again. Nobody told us anything,” Merlin said on Wednesday. 

Police suspect Somayah may have drowned as she was found lying face down in a drain filled with murky water. She was thrown from the car on impact. Charles’ two other children, Renisha, 4, and Josiah Joseph, 2, are in their grandmother’s care. 

Police reports stated that on Saturday around 1.30 am, Apping, of Coora Road, Siparia, picked up Charles, her daughter and two other passengers along the SS Erin Road. They were heading to Palo Seco. The two passengers dropped off in Santa Flora. 

Apping reportedly swerved to avoid a pothole near the Palo Seco Credit Union and collided with a Mazda 323 driven by Trevor Murraine. Apping died instantly after the steering wheel broke several of his ribs, rupturing his internal organs. Murraine suffered injuries to his hip.