Lukeisha Clarke and Althea McPherson, the two women who sustained burns about their bodies after they were shocked by a live wire on Saturday are hoping that the matter won’t turn out to be another cold case since to date they haven’t heard a word about the perpetrator.
While McPherson was treated for minor burns at the West Demerara Regional Hospital and sent away, Clarke, who is currently five months pregnant was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) Burn Care Unit nursing second and third degree burns to her hands, legs and back.
Speaking to Stabroek News yesterday, a cousin of Clarke said in addition to her showing signs of improvement, the ventilator has been removed since she has been managing to breathe on her own. An ultrasound was conducted to determine the health of the baby and all was well.
McPherson had informed Stabroek News that she was standing opposite the Good Times Bar, located near her home at Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara (WBD) when she saw Clarke at her stall, which she operates in the vicinity. It was while they were standing together that McPherson said she heard loud explosions like gunshots but she wasn’t sure of the source. She added that she started to panic and shouted to Clarke to run when she saw the cable overhead on fire. They ran but the cable fell and entangled them. At the time, the bar was still open and the street was filled with people as is customary on Friday nights. The people rushed to render assistance to the women but had difficulty since the severed wire was sparking.
The two woman were left unconscious on the roadway for approximately 20 to 25 minutes because of the difficulty in untangling them before being rushed to the hospital.
Contacted yesterday, McPherson said she was previously told that the perpetrator is being held under close arrest but the police have not contacted her. As a result, she expressed her concerns that the matter may turn out to be another “cold case” since the act was committed by a member of the police force.
She added that to date she is unable to walk or work and has to be taken care of by her sister who also looks after her child. She sustained burns to both of her feet from the ankle down which require dressing every day.
