A driver died after being pinned by a tractor that toppled on a hill at Orealla, Corentyne River on Sunday.
Richard Alpin, 58, a tractor operator, of Orealla, succumbed a few moments after he was pinned. Errol Edwards, who is the owner of the tractor; his two brothers, Sherlon and Cleveland Edwards; and a lad who has been identified only as “Fernando,” were also on board the tractor when it toppled and they sustained injuries.
Errol and Sherlon are currently patients in stable condition at the New Amsterdam Hospital, while Cleveland and Fernando were treated and sent away.
Police yesterday said that an investigation is underway into the accident.
Orealla Toshao Floyd Edwards told Stabroek News that at around 10am on Sunday, the five men were travelling down the hill for a tractor tyre.
He added that while on the way down, Alpin reportedly lost control of the machine, which resulted in the tractor toppling.
Edwards suggested that Alpin could have lost control of the vehicle as a result of the track being slippery, after heavy downpours on Saturday. He also stated that the entrance used by the men is a new one that has been around for over a year.
Stabroek News was told that after residents saw the tractor toppling, they rushed to the scene to render help. The medical personnel in the community were also summoned to treat the injured persons and referred the severely injured to the New Amsterdam Hospital.
Toshao Edwards complained about the village having to stand the expenses to bring the deceased and injured persons out to the Corentyne Coast. He noted that the police did not have any means of transportation into the community and relied on the village council to bring the men out of Orealla. He added that the last time the council assisted the police in getting persons out, the police never fully reimbursed the village. “They only gave us a few jars of gas,” Edwards said, while adding that the council does not have a lot of money to absorb unbudgeted expenses.
Alpin’s body was transported out of the area in order for a post-mortem examination to be conducted on it.
Stabroek News was unable to contact family members of the deceased however this newspaper was told that Alpin is survived by his wife and 11 children.
