A 12-year-old boy, who along with four other family members, who remain hospitalized ,was involved in an accident involving an army truck in the vicinity of Camp Seweyo on the Linden-Soesdyke High-way last month, died on Friday while undergoing his second surgery at the Georgetown Public Hospital .
Dead is Nkosi Flemming of Miritaro Amerinidian Reservation, Upper Demerara River. He was a first form student of the Linden School of Excellence.
In a press release issued a day after the April 11, accident the Guyana Defence Force had said that a re-supply truck collided with a pickup at approximately 16:30 hrs on the Linden Highway in the vicinity of the entrance to Base Camp Seweyo.
The statement had said that five persons were injured and were taken to the Linden Hospital by GDF officers and two were subsequently taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital by a Linden Constabulary ambulance, while the other three were transported to Woodlands Hospital. The GDF had also reported that the injured persons were in stable condition and a GDF doctor and medical team have responded promptly and rendered medical assistance.
Recounting the day of the accident to this newspaper yesterday, Willet Flemming who was driving his family in a Toyota Hilux pick-up, said he was behind the truck on the way up the highway. He said he attempted to overtake the truck, which then unexpectedly made a right turn, causing his pick-up to collide with the back of the truck . His vehicle toppled twice before hitting into a post on the highway.
He contended that the army vehicle had not indicated that it was preparing to turn, which was why he attempted to overtake; he was in the outer lane.
Flemming and a five-year-old child escaped unhurt, while Nkosi , his mother Trudy and his cousin Lorraine were injured. Yesterday Flemming said his son was hospitalized for a week suffering major neck injuries and was subsequently released . However, he said, some time after his son started to develop complications and could not breathe and they were advised by a doctor at the institution that he would have to undergo a second surgery. The child did not survive the operation which was done on Friday last. A post-mortem examination is to be performed on his body today. Relatives told Stabroek News that the doctor suspected that the child might have had a heart attack during the operation.
Grieving the death of her son has not been easy for Trudy Flemming, who has been a patient of the hospital’s High Dependency Unit since the day of the accident.
Yesterday she lay immobile; only able to speak with relatives. She sustained a fractured neck and broken wrist and it is not clear when she would be fit for release from the institution.
He niece Lorraine sustained three broken ribs and a partially crushed spine. She too remains a patient at the hospital.
The GDF, Willet Flemming, said had taken a statement from him.
He also told Stabroek News that on the day of the accident, public-spirited citizens assisted him and relatives to the hospital.
According to him, he and army officials were to revisit the accident scene on Friday but he could not show up because his son had passed.
