Eight persons escaped without serious injury after two cars collided at Houston, East Bank Demerara last evening.
Trideo Ramroop and his family had their vehicle rammed by a drunk driver rammed in the vicinity of Rahaman’s Park and the Houston Bridge.
Ramroop was heading south along the public road for Eccles in his Honda Civic, PJJ 3397, with his family,
when a car with licence plate number, PRR 9731, hit his vehicle, sending it spiralling out of control. Ramroop said all he could have done was to steer the car as best he could away from other vehicles. He eventually hit a lantern pole and the vehicle spun to the western side of the carriage way.
Ramroop’s wife and their four children were visibly shaken and in tears. They were complaining of headaches and pains in their feet, but had no visible injuries. Though shaken, Ramroop expressed content that they were not seriously injured.
The drunk driver was seen staggering, as he was being taken to a police vehicle. He escaped with minor cuts on his head, while his female passenger sustained a tennis size bump on her forehead.
Drama
Drama ensued on the road when a friend of the drunk driver turned up at the scene shortly after the accident, and attempted to persuade a police officer to “settle the matter”. After his offer was repeatedly refused, he attacked the policeman and there was a scuffle. Someone in the crowd muttered, “He get a gun” sending onlookers running for cover.
The policeman displayed great forbearance in the face of the threatening behaviour displayed by the friend of the drunk driver. The man punched the officer several times before he was finally forcibly subdued.
Meanwhile, the mother of the drunk driver’s female passenger arrived on the scene on a bicycle and lambasted her daughter for getting into a car with a drunk driver. “I could’ve come here and see you brains splatter on the road,” the angry woman shouted.
Commander of A Division George Vyphuis, who was on the scene ensuring that the crawling traffic returned to normalcy told this newspaper that it was the third accident he was informed of. He noted that the accident unlike the fatal one approximately four hours prior at almost the exact spot, completely blocked the East Bank carriageway. He said the slow movement of vehicles posed a security concern. However, within half an hour, normal vehicular movement returned.
“We are appealing to drivers to please do not drink and drive,” Vyphuis said. He further urged those who desired to drink, to move with a designated driver and avoid overtaking on the road.
The earlier accident claimed the life of Wazir Khan and injured ten others.
