Four persons are now dead and several others are hospitalised after a speeding motorcar collided head-on with a canter truck along the Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Demerara Public Road yesterday afternoon.
Two of the dead have been identified as Lindon Pryce, 54, of South Vryheid’s Lust, ECD and Brian Christopher Bradshaw, 35, an engineer of 106 Laluni Street, Queenstown, Georgetown.
The police this morning said that the other two dead persons have been identified as Latoya Jones, 31, of South Better Hope, East Coast Demerara and Leknarine Lall Sewpaul, 40, of Da Silva Street, Newtown Kitty.
Those injured are Marvin Hardy, 26, of Ann’s Grove, ECD; Nigel Andrews; Terrence Chance, 22 of Ann’s Grove, ECD; Eshan Simon and Okacho Josiah, 21, employees of Infab Industrial Steel Fabricators which is situated at Good Hope, ECD.
The accident which occurred around 5.55 pm involved motor car, PRR 2569 and canter truck, GJJ 7150.
Bradshaw was the driver of the motor car in which the three others who died were passengers. All of the injured men were occupants of the canter truck which was driven by Simon.
Three of the victims died on the spot while the fourth succumbed at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).
Up to press time, Chance, Simon and Josiah were at the Woodlands Hospital while Hardy and Andrews were patients at the St Joseph Mercy Hospital.
Police Commander of Region 4C Khali Pareshram last evening told Stabroek News that investigations revealed that motor car, PRR 2569 was proceeding west along the northern lane of the southern carriageway of the road, at a fast rate of speed and while negotiating a right bend, Bradshaw lost control of the car.
As a result, Pareshram said Bradshaw collided with the median and ended up on the northern carriageway, in the path of canter truck, GLL 7150.
When Stab-roek News arrived at the scene yesterday afternoon, the police were present in their numbers. The bodies of three of the dead persons were lying on the roadway while the others were being transported to the hospital.
Members of the Guyana Fire Service were also summoned to assist in rescuing some of the victims who were pinned in the vehicles.
The section of the road where the accident occurred was cordoned off which resulted in a build- up in traffic.
A large number of persons also gathered to get a glimpse of what was
happening despite the COVID-19 restrictions in place which includes social distancing. Many wore their masks while some didn’t.
A resident of the area, who wished not to be named told this newspaper that he was at home when he received the news of the accident.
According to the man, accidents on the East Coast road is a norm and are mostly as a result of speeding.
“This road hay I does see magic on this road. The road too wide and too good that they get wild. Too much speeding. You got to see Saturday night pun the road hay who does go on. Only the other day one ah them run in me yard deh,” he said.
Pryce was an employee of the Transport and Harbours Department. At the time of his death, he was on pre-retirement leave.
His sister, Charis Deen last evening told Stabroek News that she last saw him yesterday afternoon when he visited his mother.
She said one of Pryce’s brothers tried calling him and an unknown individual answered his cellular phone and told him about the accident.
“One of my brothers called his (Pryce) phone and a person answer his phone, not him and the person told my brother that he need to come to the hospital that he (Pryce) was just involved in an accident and he dead,” Deen said.
It is unclear where Pryce was heading at the time.
Meanwhile, at the home of Bradshaw last night, his uncle Lowell Porter said that the family was still trying to determine whether he was the driver of the car at the time of the accident.
According to Porter, Bradshaw borrowed the car from one of his cousins.
Porter said he learnt of the accident from the owner of the car. “He (owner) saw that his car was involved in an accident and as far as he heard everybody passed away,” Porter said.
Meanwhile, at the Woodlands and St Joseph Mercy hospitals last evening, relatives of the injured men turned up in their numbers upon receiving the news.
Many of them said that while they were given the opportunity to speak to their relatives they were awaiting information to determine the extent of the injuries they sustained.
