One man is dead and three others critically injured while a fifth escaped with minor injuries when the vehicle they were in turned turtle at Bushy Park, East Bank Essequibo around 2 am yesterday.
Shawn Spellen, 20, a soldier of Stewartville, West Coast Demerara died while being transferred to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) in an ambulance. He was first treated at the Leonora Cottage Hospital.
Those critical are Denzel Moore, who was said to be the driver, Orandy Caleb and Rayon Jeffrey all of Port Kaituma, North West District.
The other occupant, Keron Moore, 20, of Stewartville, who sustained bruises about his body was discharged from hospital yesterday.
Pamela Spellen told this newspaper that her son, Shawn left home around 6.30 pm on Sunday after telling her that he was going out with his friends.
She received a call after 2 am and was told that he had been involved in an accident and was taken to the hospital. She said she saw him while he was receiving treatment at the Leonora Cottage Hospital.
Pamela and his father Errol Spellen are sad that he never made it to the WDRH for further treatment.
Keron Moore, a student of a private school, said he was sitting in the tray of the ill-fated Toyota Hilux pick-up, when the driver apparently lost control at the turn, which has a deep ‘drop.’
He said, “Everything happened so fast…” He fell out of the tray into a small trench and knew nothing else until he awoke in a hospital bed.
He recalled that he had left home around 3.30 pm on Sunday to go to the Bushy Park Beach to “chill out” with his friends.
Denzel’s father, Reynold Moore who owned the ill-fated vehicle, told Stabroek News that his son came home from the interior to see him after he had his leg amputated. The young man had also contracted malaria and had to be treated.
Paul Singh, caretaker of a private school close to there the accident occurred said he was picking up his fishing seine when he heard the loud impact.
He looked up and saw the vehicle toppling heading towards him. He said it “flew” over the trench, breaking some boards in the process and also destroyed his seine. Singh said he leapt to safety, injuring himself as he bumped his feet really hard on an old piece of iron in the yard.
