The driver of a Route 42 (Georgetown – Timehri) minibus is now dead and 11 of his passengers are nursing injuries after they collided head on with a pick-up along with New Hope, East Bank Demerara (EBD) Public Road early yesterday morning.
Dead is Oswald Roberts, known as ’04,’ 59 of Lot 489 Kuru Kururu, Soes-dyke-Linden Highway.
The injured passengers have been identified as 48-year-old Andre King, of Lot 156 Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden High-way; 22-year-old Dave Taylor, of Laluni Creek, Soesdyke; 23-year-old Sheena Chin and 24-year-old Gina Chin, who are sisters of Lot X Kuru Kururu; 32-year-old Candacie Vickerie, of Lot 13 Kuru Kururu; 28-year-old John Cheddie; 29-year-old Murissa McPherson, of Lot 355 Kuru Kururu; 35-year-old Tatema Murray, of Lot 273 Kuru Kururu; 30-year-old Cherryan Millington and 69-year-old Glixman Adams, both of Lot 150 Kuru Kururu; and T. Deolall, 42, of Lot 5 Kuru Kururu.
The driver of the pick-up, which carried licence plate GRR 1909, and a female occupant, of North East Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, were also injured. The driver is said to be a patient under police guard as he was allegedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.
The accident occurred around 6.45 am.
The Guyana Police Force said the pick-up was proceeding south along the eastern carriageway of the public road, at a fast rate of speed, when the driver lost control of the vehicle.
As a result, he swerved from east to west across the road and into the path of Roberts’ minibus, BWW 2940, which was proceeding north along the western side of the road at the time. The two vehicles sustained extensive damage as a result of the head on collision.
When Stabroek News visited the scene yesterday, vehicle parts, including bus seats and shattered glass, were visible along the roadway.
Eyewitnesses related to this newspaper that Roberts was not speeding.
They blamed the driver of the pick-up for causing the accident.
They said he reportedly “clipped” a motorcycle, which was in front him, before he ended up in the path of the minibus, resulting in the collision. The rider of the bike did not reportedly suffer any serious injury.
An eyewitness, who asked not to be named, said she was walking to work when the accident unfolded.
“The bus did heading to Georgetown and this pick-up coming up (heading to Timehri) and trying fah overtake and lash into this bus. First he (pick-up driver) clip a motorbike in front he….and all I see the pick-up spinning,” the woman said.
She stated that she hurried off the road in fear of being struck. “I see this thing (accident) and lucky thing I move because I woulda get knock,” she said.
Meanwhile, a resident, who wished not to be named said she was at her window talking with her nephew, who was standing on the public road awaiting transportation, when the accident occurred.
“…I see the vehicles them as they passing. As soon as I saw that bus pass, the bus wasn’t going in a speed, I hear the creaks and I hear the collision,” the woman said.
“Me nephew was there (on the public road) standing and he hold he head. He seh ‘Oh god aunty!’ And he run up to the accident. When I look through the window the way, I saw the bus, I know a lot of people was hurt. Mash up bad,” she added.
The injured were all picked up in conscious and semi-conscious conditions and taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, where Roberts was pronounced dead on arrival. The passengers were treated at the said hospital and later transferred to Georgetown Public Hospital (GPC), where some underwent emergency surgeries.
The pick-up’s driver and his passenger, however, booth discharged themselves from the Diamond Diagnostic Centre and went to a private medical facility, where they were admitted. The driver is said to have suffered abdominal trauma, while his passenger suffered a fractured right arm.
Roberts and his passengers were trapped in the minibus and had to be rescued with the help of public-spirited citizens after the collision.
At the Diamond Hospital yesterday morning, relatives of Roberts gathered in their numbers upon receiving the news. They were in disbelief at his death.
One of the dead man’s sons refused to comment on the accident. He said he was still trying to gather details of what exactly transpired.
