A visiting St. Lucian Cub Scout has been critically injured, while another and his mother escaped with minor injuries after they were struck by a car yesterday afternoon near the Scout Association of Guyana headquarters at Woolford Avenue.
As a result of the accident, eight-year-old Nick Omari Joseph sustained serious injuries to his head and chest and was due for emergency surgery at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) late yesterday, while nine-year-old Darnell Matthew and his mother, Jacqueline Matthew, who is a scout leader, suffered minor bruises about their bodies.
They are all visiting as part of the 14th Caribbean Cuboree currently being held in Guyana.
They were admitted as patients at the GPH, where Joseph was expected to be transferred to the Intensive Care Unit following the completion of his surgery yesterday.
Traffic Chief Deon Moore confirmed that the driver of the vehicle that struck the trio, who has been identified as Tracy Fordyce, has been taken into custody and is assisting with investigations.
The accident occurred around 12.10pm yesterday.
The Guyana Police Force, in a press release, said investigations revealed that the driver parked her vehicle in front of the North
Georgetown Primary School and went into the school for a registration but she was refused entry because of her mode of dress. “As a result she became annoyed and drove out of the Avenue, in the process the vehicle struck down the two children,” the police release said.
When Stabroek News arrived at the scene after the accident, police officers were present in their numbers conducting investigations. An eyewitness, who asked not to be named, related that the driver of the car had gotten stuck in the mud before the vehicle gained traction.
Subsequently, the driver, who was said to be in a fit of rage, reportedly lost control and struck the victims.
When contacted by this newspaper, Camp Chief of the Cuboree Zaida Joaquin described the accident as quite unfortunate. She also suggested that the accident could have been avoided if a written request for the area to be cordoned off, which was made by the Association during planning stages, was not denied.
Joaquin said the request had been made because of the high amount of traffic in the area and the children having to traverse between various buildings in the vicinity. “They didn’t grant us our request but since the accident happen, security has been tight here and only then they decided to block the road.
Even our own staff they are not allowing to pass,” she said, while lamenting that measures are only put in place after accidents occur.
Joaquin also took the opportunity to plead with members of the public to use the road wisely. “I am begging them to look out for the scouts from today onwards. They could at least be courteous and respect them,” she said.
Stabroek News was told that arrangements are currently being made to have the parents or guardians of Joseph flown into the country, while counsellors from the Ministry of Social Protection have been providing the necessary counselling to the traumatised scouts who have witnessed the accident.
The Cuboree is scheduled to run until July 29 and some 1,000 youths are said to be participating from 14 countries.
A scout parade was held yesterday, during which Minister within the Ministry of Education Nicolette Henry and President of the Scout Association of Guyana and Chief Scout Ramsay Ali, Chief Commissioner Andrew Ramcharitar and Camp Chief Joaquin took the salute as the scouts marched past in the vicinity of the St George’s Cathedral.
First Lady Sandra Granger and Minister Henry visited the victims at the hospital following the news of the accident.
