A 12-year-old girl, who was struck down by a speeding car while crossing a street last Thursday, is currently on life-support at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).
Akazea Austin is being kept in a medically induced coma following the accident, which occurred last Thursday along the Supply Public Road.
According to Region 4 (B) Commander Kurleigh Simon, the accident occurred around 3.20 pm. He said after Austin, a student of Diamond Secondary School, exited the school bus that she was travelling in, the bus driver signaled other drivers on the public road to stop so that the girl could cross the road. However, he said while crossing the street, Austin was hit from behind by a car, HC 7963, which was heading to Linden. She immediately lost consciousness and was rushed to the Diamond Public Hospital, from where she was later transferred to the GPH. He added that investigations revealed that the 45-year-old taxi-driver of Linden was speeding and as a result could not slow down to allow Austin to cross the road.
Simon further revealed that the taxi-driver was taken into custody after the accident and was released on station bail on Monday pending further investigations.
Meanwhile, Austin’s mother, Loraina Waddle, told Stabroek News yesterday that she saw when her daughter exited the bus, which stopped directly in front of their home on the other side of the road. “I see she come out and everything and she walked in front of the bus while the driver put out he hands to stop them other car. I waiting for she and then I see the crowd and I wasn’t seeing her so I start run and when I near, I see somebody throw a child in a cruiser,” she said.
Upon closer inspection, a distraught Waddle recognised her daughter and told the driver of the cruiser that it was her child, after which she went into the vehicle and they journeyed to the Diamond Hospital with the help of the driver of the car.
Austin’s father, William Mentos, said she was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the GPHC since the day of the accident. He added that a CT scan found that her brain is swollen and a nerve between the skull and brain was severely damaged. In addition, blood clots have formed both in her lungs and brain.
While Austin has not regained consciousness since the day of the accident, her parents reported that yesterday afternoon she began twitching her legs. However, they said the nurses tried to take her off the life-support but had to immediately place her back on the machine.
Both Waddle and Mentos said they feared the worst. They said that if she recovers they don’t know if she will be the same because of her brain injuries.
Mentos emphasised that all the girl’s family is asking for is that a “proper and thorough” investigation be done. “We need the police to do a proper investigation and an accurate one because it happened to a child. A loving child life has been destroyed so we need a right and fair trial. Who wrong let the court find them right or who right let the court find them right,” he added.
