The driver of the Linden bus involved in the horrific crash on Wednesday night which claimed the lives of 10 persons has told relatives he had not seen the log-filled truck which he slammed into as he was blinded by the headlamps of an approaching vehicle.
The injured man, Mark Lewis, was unable to speak with this newspaper when it visited the Linden Hospital Complex. He was overcome with sorrow after he learnt of the deaths of his brother Paul Lewis and two-year-old Tyrese Mc Lean and Elaine Lashley, who are his neighbours, in the same accident.
He has suffered broken legs and arms but is in a stable condition.
Those who died are Colleen Bacchus; Lorraine McCurdy; Florence Cummings; Carl Austin; Carl McAlmont; Delroy Mitchell, 17; McLean, 2; Evelyn Adams, 42; Lashley – who died on the way to the Georgetown Hospital – and Paul Lewis, the conductor of the minibus.
The man’s father Ashton Lewis told this newspaper that his son was able to tell him a little about the accident and said that he didn’t see the truck which he slammed into.
The man said his son told him that he was overtaking a car which was ahead of him when the bright light emanating from the oncoming vehicle blinded him and this caused him to pull sharply back in the corner and not seeing the logging truck ahead of him.
“He said he didn’t see the truck at all. The only thing he said he saw was the car in front of him which he overtook.
Stabroek News had also learnt from eyewitnesses that some persons in the community had warned the truck driver that he should not park the truck there moreso since there was no way other vehicles could have seen it from far.
One resident said “He turn and told us that all ah we got to hustle and make a living.”
They said the man did not co-operate and proceeded to leave the truck on the hill.
Stabroek News understands that post-mortem examinations on those who perished will be conducted in Linden today. This newspaper was also told that the body of Elaine Lashley was transported to Linden yesterday for the examination today.
Meanwhile those recovering at the Georgetown and Linden hospitals are Oriel Simeon, Mark Lewis, Odette Gordon, Wendy Nedd, Sherlock Daniels, Fonda Lashley, Stacy Fordyce, Jerome Cruickshank and Leon Granville. Nedd is said to be in a critical but stable condition.
Meanwhile in a statement yesterday the police said they inadvertently said on Thursday that Nicola Jones of Amelia’s Ward, Linden was one of the persons who died in the accident and said that the information is incorrect.
This newspaper in its initial report on Thursday had also listed Jones as one of the deceased however the victim whose name was not initially mentioned was Colleen Bacchus of Amelia’s Ward.
Recognizing that speeding was a major contributor to the accident, the police once again urged that members of the public call on drivers to desist from this practice and report incidents of this nature to the police.
