-Nine others treated at GPHC
THE DRIVER of a Route 41(South) minibus involved in an accident on Norton Street, Wortmanville yesterday afternoon was up to late last night in a critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) as doctors at the institution waged an unrelenting battle to save his life. Ten other persons, including his conductor, were seriously injured when the motor vehicle crashed and toppled several times on the busy thoroughfare as it tried to overtake a motor car travelling west along Norton Street, somewhere between Hardina Street and Louisa Row.  The accident reportedly occurred around 16:15h as the minibus was on its return trip to the Stabroek bus park.
The driver, Seon Caesar, 25, of Stevedore Housing Scheme who sustained a gaping life-threatening cut to the head, among other things, bore the brunt of the injuries.   He was rushed to the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital where he had a CT scan done and later returned to the GPHC.   His conductor, whose name was only given as ‘Lil Man’, suffered a fractured neck, among other things, and his condition was also listed as critical.
Others injured and treated at the GPHC were:  Tekica Timmerman, 22, of Riverview, Ruimveldt; Julie Correia, 21, of  Thirteenth Street, Diamond; Delon Mentore, 18, of  Sideline Dam, Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara;  Jamal George, 15, of  Mandela Avenue;  Ray Pestano, 27, of Tuschen, East bank Essequibo;  Raymond George, 17, of Princes Street, Lodge; Keiwsha Yhap, 13, of  Princes St, Lodge; Sherma Duncan, 31, of Fifth Street Alberttown; Ariel Pollard, 16, of Mekdeci Housing Scheme, North Ruimveldt; and Deon Drakes, 25, of South Ruimveldt.
Writhing in pain, blood-covered commuters from the minibus recalled that the driver, who was speeding, was in the process of overtaking a motor car when the bus hit the car and ran off the road, toppling several times.
Pandemonium broke out, they said, as injured and screaming commuters tried to get out of the bus.   They were helped by residents of the area and other passersby.  A Stabroek News vehicle passing the scene of the accident at the time, along with two other cars, assisted two GPHC ambulances in shuttling the injured to the Accident and Emergency Unit of the GPHC.
As word of the accident spread like wildfire, relatives and friends of those involved in the accident rushed down to the hospital to enquire about their loved ones, but were greeted with fierce hostility by security guards trying to maintain crowd control at the hospital.
Eventually, normalcy was restored and concerned relatives managed to see the injured.  Notwithstanding, the medical staff and porters at the institution were commended by relatives of the injured persons and others on the scene for their efficient and dedicated performance.