A three-vehicle smash-up at Main and New Market streets yesterday resulted in injury to at least one person, damage to an electricity pole and transformers and blackout to customers in the vicinity for a few hours.
The driver of the minibus, whose name was given as Ramballi managed to get out of the bus onto the grass verge where he lay moaning for more than ten minutes before being transported to the hospital. He appeared to be in shock, but it was unclear whether he had sustained other injuries.
According to reports, around 8.15 am, a Route 44 minibus—BKK 7642—which was heading east along New Market Street, failed to stop at the major road. As a result, a sliver car, PLL 7305, travelling south along Main Street collided with the bus, which then smashed into a black car, PKK 2327, headed west along New Market Street.
The bus also subsequently crashed into the pole hoisting two Guyana Power and Light (GPL) transformers. Customers inside the nearby GPL head office on Main Street said they heard a loud sound and rushed out to see the three vehicles sprawled on the corner and the transformers down on the road leaking oil.
Apart from the other two drivers, there were four other persons involved in the accident—two in each of the two cars—however while they were shaken, there were no other injuries.
GPL said in a press release that it was able to repower the first set of customers at around 09:20 hrs, while the other customers regained power at 11:02 hrs.
According to the press release, this incident reinforces the need for parties to exercise extreme caution when using the roadways. In addition the prompt reporting of all accidents involving GPL’s network will assist in the speedy resolution of problems caused by such accidents.
Persons who were at the scene of the accident expressed great displeasure at the length of time the injured driver was left lying but confessed that they were scared to venture close as they did not know the state of the transformers and did not want to slide on the oily substance coming from the transformers.
