Guyanese medical student killed in Florida
Stabroek News
May 5, 2004
A Guyanese-American medical student was killed in an auto accident in Central Florida on Saturday evening.
Ryan Anthony Persad, 23, a student at the University of South Florida, was killed when the car he was driving reportedly hit a tree in bad weather.
Family members say they are not exactly sure what happened or how he died as the police have not been forthcoming with information. The police have not issued a report as to the cause of the accident nor has the autopsy report been released. Persad was living with his younger brother Richard in Tampa where both were studying at the university.
He was the son of Ram and Celia Persad who migrated from Guyana with the family and settled in Toronto and then New York before recently moving to the Orlando area of Florida.
Persad is also survived by another brother, Mark, who describes his younger brother as "a fantastic and beautiful person. He was kind-hearted and never hesitated to help anyone who needed help. It did not matter who the person was seeking help. Ryan just offered his service. He was unusually strong and could calm any situation down. He was adored by all who knew him, was quiet and peaceful and would not hurt anyone. He was the kind of person who could convince anyone to do anything".
His funeral is scheduled for Saturday. (Vishnu Bisram)