ST LUCIAN boys Nick Omaie Joseph, 8, and Darnell Mathews, 9, who are visiting these shores as part of the Scouts’ 14th Caribbean Cuboree celebrations, were struck down by a motor car yesterday on Woolford Avenue following a march through the city.Joseph’s condition is said to be critical but stable, while Mathews’s mother, Jacqueline, also sustained minor injuries during the incident.

According to the police, investigations have been launched into the incident which occurred at 12:10 hrs yesterday and involved the driver of motorcar PSS 1236. The police said the female driver of the car, who had parked her vehicle in front of the North Georgetown Primary School on Woolford Avenue, was refused entry to the school because of her mode of dress. As a result, she became so annoyed that she drove out of the avenue in a huff, hitting down the two children and the parent in the process.

The victims are presently warded at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), while the driver is in police custody.

According to reports, the car had been stuck in a ditch, and the woman reportedly drove out of the ditch in a reckless manner while the children were marching into the Scouts Association of Guyana compound nearby.

Hospital sources reported late yesterday afternoon that Joseph was being prepped for surgery in the main operating theatre. He was expected to be placed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) following the operation.

A delegation from the Ministry of the Presidency led by First Lady Sandra Granger paid the injured lads a visit yesterday afternoon at the GPHC.

Scores of scouts from across the Caribbean region marched through the capital city on Monday despite the wet weather conditions. The Scout Association of Guyana is hosting the Caribbean Cuboree for the first time. Close to 1000 scouts are participating in the event.

The scouts came here from 13 Caribbean countries, namely Anguilla, Antigua, Aruba, Barbados, Curacao, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

A Surinamese and a Polish contingent are also in attendance. The event concludes on Friday.