AN accident around 08:10 hrs yesterday at the busy railway embankment junction at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara has left a motorcyclist nursing a broken left leg and other multiple injuries.According to one eyewitness the biker, who was still unidentified at press time, was riding motorcycle CH 4489 in a westerly direction on the railway embankment when motorcar PLL 3054, which was idling on the southern side of the Lusignan Prison access road, made an attempt to cross over the main thoroughfare. However, while one motorist slowed down and signalled to the waiting car to cross, the biker apparently wasn’t warned, and simply overtook the car in front of him.

This oversight resulted in the crossing car hitting the passing motorcycle on its side, and throwing the rider into the northern metal rails of a nearby bridge some 30 feet away.

The injured motorcyclist quickly tried to compose himself, but could be heard lamenting that the driver of the car was wrong and probably inexperienced.

However, the female driver of the motorcar is contending that the motorcyclist was signalled to stop, but instead chose to ignore the signal. She said that he overtook the waiting car dangerously after she was already signalled to pass. She was at the time transporting a small group of children to nursery school.

The accident immediately drew scores of onlookers who began to lament the apparent callousness of the driver.
Others pointed out that the motorcyclist was wearing a roller skates helmet and not a proper safety helmet for motorcycling.

Two traffic ranks who arrived on motorcycles within minutes of the accident were later commended by bystanders for their professionalism and the manner in which they manned the accident scene.

Many were appreciative that the policemen immediately made attempts to rush the injured motorcyclist to hospital, while arranging for another vehicle to take the children to school, after assessing that they were not injured physically.

”Fus time me see police aparate so professional and show real consideration fuh them lil schoolchildren, the injured, and dem ada driver who had fuh pass. Narmally is just a set a ignorance and confusion,” said Barry Ramdeem, a Lusignan resident.

Others were also impressed by the first-aid knowledge demonstrated by one rank, while the other took the accident scene under his control.

The railway embankment along the East Coast corridor serves mostly as a one-way route to Georgetown, between 07:00 hrs and 09:00 hrs on weekdays. This initiative was undertaken by the authorities in a bid to reduce traffic congestion and accidents during the morning rush hour.

However, this has created other challenges for pedestrians and motorists wanting to cross the busy roadway.

Efforts by this newspaper to solicit a comment from the acting Traffic Chief regarding those challenges have proved futile.

By Odella Patterson