Former commissioner of police Henry Greene died as a result of a fractured spine, the Police Public Relations Department disclosed yesterday, while a senior officer said that this was in combination with severe internal haemorrhaging.
Greene and a 10-year-old girl, Shaffiya Jamaluddin, died on Friday morning after the vehicles they were in collided head-on on the West Demerara highway at Waller’s Delight.
The girl was said to have died of multiple injuries. These were the findings of Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh, who conducted both post-mortem examinations yesterday.
Acting Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell, when contacted last evening, said that Greene’s funeral is tentatively set for Saturday. Brumell could not comment further.
Efforts made to contact the relatives of the dead child for an update proved futile.
The Home Affairs Ministry yesterday issued a press on behalf of the Community Policing Organisation release expressing profound shock at Greene’s death.
It was noted that Greene had contributed greatly to the development of the organisation. It said community policing earned tremendous benefits from his advice at his monthly statutory meeting with the National Community Policing Executive, and that members were able to formulate strategies in reducing the fear of crime in their communities.
“Mr Greene expended a great deal of energy in improving the relations between the police and the organisation by ensuring training, social interaction, fun days and participation in police activities… It is therefore, with the deepest feeling of sadness that the organisation extends its heartfelt condolences and exhorts the aggrieved to garner strength and faith to overcome the challenges that may confront them in this their time of sorrow and pain,” the press release said.
Police, in a statement, had said the accident occurred around 9.10 am on Friday. Greene was driving his SUV along the roadway, when it is reported that his vehicle veered into the lane of a car, which was travelling in the opposite direction, resulting in a head-on collision, the police said. Jamaluddin was in this car, which was heading west, while Greene was heading east in his vehicle. The police said that after Greene collided with the car, his vehicle then collided with the Bakewell truck that was travelling behind the car.
As a result of the collision, Greene and Jamaluddin, of Adelphi, East Canje Berbice, received injuries and were pronounced dead on arrival at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDHR). Greene was alive when he was pulled out of his vehicle, according to eyewitnesses, but he succumbed on the way to the hospital. Greene was 58.
Eight other persons were injured in the horrific smash-up.
The driver of the car, Raheem Kaleem, 45, along with the other occupants, his sons Reeaz Kaleem, 18; and Fawaaz Kaleem, 15; along with Shaimoon Kaleem, 46; and Zaitoon Hoosein, 26, all of Canefield, East Canje, sustained injuries and were also taken to the WDRH. Shaimoon was treated and sent away, while the others were admitted and later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where they are currently patients.
Zaitoon Hoosein, the mother of the dead girl, is a patient of the High Dependency Unit while the males have all been admitted to the Male Medical Ward.
On two separate occasions, this newspaper was told by hospital officials that the patients would be unable to speak.
Efforts made to contact their relatives in Berbice proved futile.
