A 19-year-old GuySuCo mechanic lost his life after he was struck by a low-bed trailer at Corriverton on Monday evening while he and other workers were fixing a bulldozer that broke down on the roadway.
Mark English of Stanleytown, New Amsterdam was rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital and subsequently transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery. He succumbed at that institution early yesterday morning.
English who was conscious throughout the incident was bleeding profusely from injuries sustained to the lower part of his body. He was pinned to the trailer and was unable to walk after being removed.
According to the man’s uncle, Neil Rudder, his nephew, who suffered injuries to his pelvic bone, kidneys, bladder and other organs, lost a lot of blood.
The driver of the low-bed which was carrying logs has been taken into custody. Rudder told this newspaper that his nephew and his colleagues were fixing the bulldozer when the driver got off the trailer and asked them to move it out of the way.
He learnt that his nephew told the man that they could not move because “the pin of the bulldozer was out.” He said the driver reportedly became annoyed and jumped back onto the low-bed saying “I don’t care, I hurry” and drove off.
Some of the workers managed to run out of the way while another colleague was forced to lie flat on the road under the moving trailer to avoid being hit.
Unfortunately English, who was “turned sideways” as the trailer moved, was pinned to the bulldozer by one of the huge logs, resulting in the lower part of body being crushed.
The man told this newspaper that the carelessness of the driver has caused a young man to die senselessly whilst others narrowly escaped injuries.
He opined that the driver “could’ve exercised better judgment being older than the workers and being a seasoned driver could’ve saved Mark’s life.”
English’s relatives are urging the police to investigate the matter thoroughly. Contacted, Commander of ‘B’ Division, Stephen Merai said that the driver of the truck is in police custody whilst police are continuing investigations. According to Merai, the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions will be approached for advice on how to proceed.
English leaves to mourn his mother Denise, his twin brothers, grandmother and other members of the family.
Meanwhile, this newspaper was reliably informed that the errant driver was driving the low-bed trailer at Betsy Ground, Canje last week when 20-year-old Verendra Nauth Tirbohan was struck by a live utility wire.
At the time the driver was transporting a combine on the trailer when Tirhohan who was sitting on top of the combine got up and used a stick to move the wire out of the way.
However the stick slipped off causing the wire to come into contact with the back of his neck.
