A man is now in a critical condition in the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) after he was struck and dragged by a speeding funeral van along the Devonshire Castle Public Road, on the Essequibo Coast on Monday afternoon.
Tulsie Maniram, also known a ‘Bully,’ 56, of 290 Hampton Court, was struck from his motorcycle by the van, which is owned by the Regional Democratic Council and attached to the Essequibo Funeral Home.
According to the Guyana Police Force, enquiries revealed that Maniram was proceeding south along the eastern side of Devonshire Castle Public Road at a normal speed on motorcycle CJ 6341, while the van, GNN 5061, driven by Bharat Joseph, also known as ‘Rasta,’ was proceeding in the same direction some distance behind albeit at a fast pace.
The report said the driver lost control of the van and collided with the rear of the motorcycle, causing Maniram to fall onto the roadway. He fell under the van and was dragged some distance along the roadway until the van toppled. It eventually came to a halt in a trench, located on the eastern side of the road, pinning Maniram.
Passersby later freed him from under the van and placed him in a vehicle that transported him to the Suddie Hospital, where he was treated for head injuries and abrasions about his body. He was later transported to the GPH’s Intensive Care Unit.
Joseph, 59, of Lot 1 Zorg Market Road, Essequibo Coast, is currently in custody. Photos posted on Facebook after the accident showed him and two young girls exiting the toppled van.
Felisha Maniram, a daughter of the injured man, said last evening that Tulsie was unconscious in the GPH’s ICU.
The accident took place some eight houses away from Tulsie’s home, while he was on his way home with his cattle.
Felisha said at the time she was at home when she heard an impact, which caused her to run to see what took place. The woman noted that she did not know that it was her father who was involved in the accident until persons began shouting for “Bully”. She went closer to the scene and realised that her father was involved and was trapped under the vehicle. She added that while persons immediately wanted to turn the vehicle over, Joseph objected as he claimed that there was a dead body in the van.
Disregarding the driver’s objections, she said, public-spirited citizens flipped the vehicle and retrieved Tulsie. (Readawne Henery)
