NEW YORK: Four young Bangladeshis were killed in a head-on collision between two cars in Grand Island of New York early Tuesday.
The deceased were identified as Shafiul Alam, 20, Nazim Khan, 21, Burhanur Rahman, 22 and Rezwan Chowdhury, 21, hailed from Sylhet.
Witnesses said their private car collided head-on with another car coming from opposite direction while they were returning to Michigan after visiting Niagara Falls, leaving three people dead on the spot and one injured critically.
Rezwan Chowdhury’s aunty Amina Ahmed told banglanews New York Correspondent, “The bodies of three Bangladeshi young men, died in a fatal car accident, will be buried in Michigan in the morning (7:30am local time, New York).
Mrs Ahmed also said dead bodies are due to reach Michigan local funeral home from buffalo and the namaj-e-janaza would be held there.
Victim’s relatives told banglanews that families of the victims are completely devastated and simply lost their words.
Rezwan’s mother is losing her sense often and his two sisters and three brothers are now speechless at the tragic death, Amina Ahmed said.
Rezwan made a phone call to his mother just at 12:05am and told he forgot the key to enter the home as he would be reaching late when all would remain in sleep. His mother assured him that she would be awake and waiting until his return, she added.
Shafiul Alam’s tragedy even worse said Rezwan’s uncle Nizamuddin Ahmed.
He said Shafiul’s father Mohammed Shahajan is hospitalized due to a car accident just a three weeks ago while he was returning from the work. And Shafiul made his shortcut visit in Bangladesh and returned to US just two days earlier.
Nizam Uddin said all those four youths were buddies and very popular in Bangladeshi community as they were school going teens and working part time at local Bangladesh restaurant ‘Alaudin’ and ‘Bonoful.’
However, Nizam Uddin said, the whole community is in grief to receive dead bodies.
In such horrific situation no one can really confirm now the news about Burhanur B Rahman, 22, who was in coma. Burhanur hailed from Bishwanth of Sylhet.
According to Nizam Uddin Ahmed, all four were Bangladeshi immigrants to US. Rezwan came to US just four years ago. Like him three others also came just a little before and after him.
However, Buffalo is a town of the New York state near the Canadian City Niagara and about 411 miles away for the New York City.
Earlier John Uddin, the president of the Jalalabad Association of New York City told banglanews that Burhanur B Rahman who was behind the wheel died later on in hospital.
But he said the death of Burhanur B Rahman yet to be confirmed as it is informed by a victim’s friend. The victim was in coma.
The accident, all went down on the interstate high way I-190 Southbound near the exit to Grand Island Boulevard just after midnight.
According to police, a car and an SUV collided head-on after one of the vehicles was driving the wrong way, attempting to go north in the southbound lane.
Police have not specified which vehicle was going the wrong way but the result of the crash is horrifying, local media reported.
Three were dead on the spot and two in critical condition; both the drivers were taken to local Erie County Medical Clinic (ECMC).
The driver of the vehicle who was going the wrong way was 87 year-old Richard Hildebrand of Kenmore, NY.
Crystal Kirtz lives near the crash site and witnessed the aftermath of the tragedy.
“I was in bed sleeping and I heard a crash pop sound I looked out window, saw cars, came out back door and came out and the SUV and the car were both on fire and there was a bunch of cars on side of road and maybe 5 minutes later saw state troopers flying down,” Kirtz said.
BDST: 1935 HRS, JUL 10, 2012
Edited by: Abul Kalam Azad, Newsroom Editor M. Mahbub Alam, Asst Output Editor
All rights reserved. Sale, redistribution or reproduction of information/photos/illustrations/video/audio contents on this website in any form without prior permission from banglanews24.com are strictly prohibited and liable to legal action.
