Community rallies after fatal crash in Byram River

August 9, 2023 at 11:18 p.m.

A boat from Cos Cob Fire Rescue searches for the sunken car driven by Juan Garcia-Suchite in the Byram River. Garcia-Suchite, a Port Chester resident, reportedly died after hitting a boulder and launched his vehicle into the river on Thursday, Aug. 3. (Courtesy photo of Port Chester Fire Department)

At the end of Purdy Avenue, where the road hits the Byram River, middle-of-the-night darkness blanketed the area as a car shot into the depths of the water. Upon getting reports of the incident, Port Chester firefighters and police officers responded to the scene at 1:40 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 3.

First responders met with the passenger of the vehicle when they arrived, finding him resting on nearby rocks. According to a press release, the passenger said the driver, Port Chester resident Juan Garcia-Suchite, was still in the vehicle submerged under the water.

Connecticut-based divers from Greenwich and Stamford Fire located the car on its roof in the Byram River. The vehicle was approximately 10 feet under the water. The 31-year-old, still stuck inside, was declared deceased by EMS personnel on the scene.

    Members of the New Rochelle Police Department Harbor Unit, Greenwich Fire Department and the Stamford Fire Department search the Byram River for Juan Garcia-Suchite.
 Port Chester Fire Department   

According to the press release, investigators believe the car was driving at a high speed down Purdy Avenue and hit a boulder at the end of the road. The vehicle went airborne over a chain-link fence and through some trees before crashing into the river.

In response to the crash, the Port Chester Department of Public Works has already restored the fencing along the water at the end of Purdy Avenue. The boulders that served as a blockade have been moved farther up the road and are now painted bright yellow for improved visibility.

    Boulders at the end of Purdy Avenue have been painted yellow for improved visibility after a fatal crash on Thursday, Aug. 3.
 By Jeffrey Cullen Dean   

While the Port Chester Police Department is still investigating the crash, the community is rallying around the victim’s family.

“I don’t feel alone with the support of the people,” said Elida Ramos, Garcia-Suchite’s wife, via translation. “He was a great father for my children and would always bring everything to them and always took them to the beach and to the park to play. He loved his children, and they were his priority.”

Garcia-Suchite left behind three children, a 12-year-old daughter, a 6-year-old son and another daughter 15 months of age.

“(Our son) is suffering,” Ramos said. “He asks where his dad is and when he’s coming home. Our daughter understands what happened and she’s sad and supporting me and the little ones.”

Luis Yumbla, a Port Chester resident and advocate for the Hispanic community, is organizing charity events to provide some benefits for the family Garcia-Suchite left behind.

The first is a series of monetary donation boxes given to approximately 40 businesses in Port Chester, Yumbla said. Additionally, a GoFundMe page was created by Yumbla for anyone who wants to contribute online.

The other charity event is a solidarity lunch that will be held on Sunday, Aug. 20. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Guatemalan, Ecuadorian and Peruvian food will be prepared and delivered for $15. All of the proceeds will go towards Ramos and her family.

“We need to support the wife and children because they are going to suffer more because of the loss of the husband,” Yumbla said. “We want to send a message to the community because they were speeding. We need to be more responsible while driving. It can cause a tragic situation like this.”

To order the food, contact Yumbla at 203-667-3799.

To donate, go to www.gofundme.com/f/brindando-consuelo-y-esperanzas .