… several injured in Mahaicony smash-up

A THREE-VEHICLE collision at Fellowship, Mahaicony, on Wednesday morning claimed the life of former Deputy Regional Executive Officer of Regions Five and Nine, Esme Rockcliffe, and left several others, including four foreigners, injured.

According to the police, Rockcliffe, 61, of Le Enterprise, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, was pronounced dead at 15:00hrs at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), after sustaining injuries in the accident that occurred around 10:30 hrs.
She was a passenger of minibus BJJ 3844 when she met her demise.

Kamar Rahim, 29, of Novar, Mahaicony, who was the driver of the minibus, has been taken into police custody. Rockcliffe was initially taken to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital before being transferred to the GPHC.
Gavin Roberts, 42, of Recess, Mahaicony, another passenger of BJJ 3844 was also transferred to the GPHC and so too was foreigner Makini Barrow, 28, of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The other foreigners Yenver Caesar, 23, of St Lucia, and Makeshi Peters and Michael Rajnauth, 21, of Trinidad and Tobago were all admitted to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital.
The foreigners were all passengers of minibus BPP2127, driven by Walter Heywood, 69, of Waterloo Street, Georgetown.
Heywood was also admitted to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital as well as Trecia Williams, 27, of Blankenburg, West Coast Demerara and Christine Basil, 24, of Anira Street, Queenstown, Georgetown.

According to reports, minibus BJJ3834 was heading to Georgetown, proceeding west on the southern carriageway, while BPP 2127 was travelling in the opposite direction.
Motorcar HC 7188, being driven by Parmarshur Raikha, 29, of Glasgow, East Bank Berbice, was behind minibus BPP 2127.
Reports indicate that minibus BJJ3834 allegedly attempted to make a U-Turn and ended up in the path of Minibus BPP2127. The two collided and motorcar HC 7188 which was behind minibus BPP2127 ended up in the accident.

However, none of the passengers of motorcar HC7188 were injured and they gave statements to the police before leaving the scene of the accident. Rahim, the driver of minibus BJJ3844 and Raikha of motorcar HC7188 both tested negative for alcohol.
Rockcliffe’s tearful daughter, Nyasha Rockcliffe, told the Guyana Chronicle that she last spoke to her mother on Tuesday night at 21:00 hrs at her home.
Rockcliffe made a trip to Berbice earlier Wednesday morning, and was returning home when disaster struck.

Nyasha recounted that it was around 12: 00 hrs that hospital officials called the family’s home and relayed the heart-breaking news. Esme’s husband, Ovid, was inconsolable on receiving it.
The accident comes at the end of Road Safety Month, which was observed under the theme “Life does not have a reset button, drive carefully.”
Only on Wednesday, Traffic Chief Dion Moore boasted that there has been a reduction in vehicular accidents and fatalities in November, compared to last year.