-two injured
Deokie Pooran, called Diane, was killed on the spot while a mother and her four-year-old son were injured yesterday morning, when an out-of-control truck slammed into them on the Lusignan Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara.
The truck’s driver, who told investigators that his brakes had failed, remained in police custody up to late last evening.
Pooran, 21, of Lot 126 Lusignan Pasture, was en route to her job at the Budget Supermarket, located on the public road, when the accident occurred. The woman sustained countless bruises and cuts about her body. According to hospital sources, she succumbed to head injuries.
Meanwhile, Malina Zaman, 27, and her son Kishan Zaman, also of Lusignan Pasture, were hit by the truck. Zaman was admitted as a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital and is being closely monitored. She was rendered unconscious after the accident and was bleeding profusely through her nose. Her son escaped serious injury and he was treated for bruises to his face.
Police said in a statement that the trio was standing on the southern parapet when they were struck down by a truck, which was speeding west along the southern carriageway of the road. The owner and driver of the truck, Rawley Fredericks, 45, of Vigilance South, East Coast Demerara, is in custody assisting with investigations, police also reported.
According to eyewitness accounts, a car stopped for Pooran to cross the busy road while the Zamans were nearby. Stabroek News was told that the speeding truck, heading in the direction of the city, struck Pooran and dragging her several feet onto a nearby bridge. The Zamans were hit in the process. The truck then slammed into the back of a car before coming to a halt.
The driver, witnesses said, told persons at the scene that his brakes had failed and he tried to turn but collided with the pedestrians and the car. At the hospital, relatives of the dead and injured gathered and many expressed shock that Pooran, described as a “very nice and quite” woman, was killed. Her mother, Rajdai Etwaru, was inconsolable. “Ow meh daughta is only twenty-one years. She ain’t even get married yet,” she said between sobs.
Pooran’s cousin, Rohan Satrochan, said that after they were informed of the accident, they immediately travelled to the hospital, where their worst fears were confirmed. He said that when he viewed the body, there were countless cuts about her body.
One of Malina’s relatives, meanwhile, said that she was stable and would recover from her injuries. The child, still visibly shocked, was being cuddled by another relative.
Persons living close to the accident scene said that the fatalities and damage could have been worse as there were a lot traffic and persons around at the time. One resident said that every other day there is an accident at the intersection and stressed that something needs to be done urgently. “They need to put traffic lights hey or something man! Even a traffic police could help. They got to wait to do something until a life was lost?”
This newspaper was told that usually there is heavy traffic in the area as children rush to get to schools in the area in the mornings. The intersection is also used to gain access to the Lusignan golf course and the Lusignan Prisons.