Nine persons were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital yesterday after the horse cart they were travelling on was hit by a minibus near to Vlissengen Road and Carifesta Avenue.
The injured persons arrived at the hospital shortly after midday with horse cart owner, 39-year-old Dharmendra Ramdeo, crying out in pain. A large gash was visible on the man’s left leg.
He was immediately assisted out of the vehicle and rushed in to the Accident and Emergency (A&E) unit of the hospital.
Others who suffered trauma and minor injuries were 15-year-old Navindra Ramdeo, 45-year-old Radika Alli of 381 ‘B’ Field, Turkeyen, Sophia, 19-year-old Melissa Nowrang, 6-year-old Savannah Tracey, 9-year-old Jackey Crème, 16-year-old Akeela Thomas, 42-year-old Hida Crème and minibus passenger 31-year-old Kamlawattie Singh, of Lot 19 Agriculture Road, Triumph Village.
This newspaper was told by Navindra Ramdeo, son of Dharmendra, that the group was on their way to the seawall to swim when the accident occurred.
He said that the minibus driver jumped the stoplight before crashing into the cart.
“He went coming with one speed and ain’t see the traffic light and slam into we… We de now turning fuh come to the seawall and we de going and turn and the stoplight been on for the bus to stop and we thought it woulda stop but he keep coming and lash into we and all ah we pitch over,” the boy said.
Lying on a stretcher in the A&E unit was Akeela Thomas who reiterated what was said by Ramdeo. “When we going over to the seawall the stoplight was saying go and how far de bus was coming from it de saying stop and they de coming with a full speed and he fly into we and flick over the whole cart and we get injure,” she said.
The young girl had a noticeable wound to her left hip which seemed to have been dislocated.
He noted that approximately 20 persons were travelling on the horse cart but the others were not badly injured.
Ramdeo said a public-spirited citizen offered to take them all to the hospital in the tray of his pick-up truck while the bus driver stood outside his vehicle looking on. Only the front of the blue and white minibus was damaged, Ramdeo said.
The horse also appeared to have been injured.
When Stabroek News contacted Dharamdeo Ramdeo’s wife, Anita, last evening, she indicated that everyone had been treated and discharged from the hospital.
However, she explained that her husband was asked to stay at the hospital for two weeks but refused. His leg, she added, is broken in three places and he is unable to walk.
