Patricia De Abreu, the woman who along with her 4-year-old son was injured in a Mash Day accident involving a minibus, has developed complications and was recently forced to undergo surgery to her collar bone which was fractured during the accident.
As a result of the February 23 accident, De Abreu sustained lacerations to the left side of her face, a broken right wrist, a fractured collar bone as well as other injuries. Immediately after the accident, De Abreu underwent an operation on her fractured collar bone among other operations. Following her discharge from the hospital, the woman was required to report to clinic and was last week referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital for another operation on her collar bone.
On the day of the accident, De Abreu and her son Isaiah were passengers in a minibus which tipped over on its side and skidded on the wet road. Isaiah De Abreu sustained lacerations to the tendons of both hands as well as to his face. His grandmother Joan Coates-De Abreu said that after undergoing corrective surgery to his hands, he was still having problems using his fingers. Coates-De Abreu said too that the accident had been hard on her and her family.
Meanwhile, Coates-De Abreu said that the driver of the bus involved in the accident has not been charged by the police and is still operating his minibus.
While in hospital, De Abreu told Stabroek News that the accident occurred between 8:30-9:00 am at the corner of Regent and Oronoque streets. She said that the driver was not speeding initially but he “pull off” fast when the bus was in the vicinity of the Ministry of Agriculture building. She said she and her son were seated behind the conductor in the folding seat, when the speeding minibus swerved to avoid hitting another vehicle, fell on its side and skidded some distance.
The driver of the bus, however, told this newspaper that he was only doing 55 mph when a white Morris Oxford car which was on the inside lane in front of him made a sudden right turn without giving any indication. He said when this happened, he fought to control the bus three times but lost full control on the third attempt. It was during his fight for control of the bus that it turned on its side, the driver had said. The driver had injured his hand in the accident as well.
While others were injured in the accident, it was De Abreu and her son who sustained the most serious injuries.
