TWO persons were on Tuesday morning killed in a horrific traffic accident on the N0. 46 Village Public Road.

The accident which occurred on the eve of the launch of National Road Safety Month has claimed the lives of: 15-year-old Akeem Harry of Rose Hall and 57-year-old Paula Kissoondial . The two were passengers in a car that turned turtle in the vicinity of the No. 46 Village Corentyne just before noon on Tuesday. Those injured are Jermaine Smartt, Winston Collins and Keith Ross also of Rose Hall Town. Collins 24, was the driver of the car at the time, while Smart and Ross were passengers. The accident took place just one day after another horrific accident in the mining community of Mahdia on Monday which caused injuries to 11 persons.
Kissoondial was pronounced dead at the Skeldon Hospital while Harry died while receiving medical attention at the same medical facility. Smartt, Collins and Ross were all stabilised before being transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital. Several doctors were called out as concerned citizens and residents flocked the Accident and Emergency Unit where the three were being treated. As a result of the accident Ross suffered a compressed fracture to his spinal cord and was subsequently transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital for specialised medical attention. Official hospital sources confirmed that Smartt suffered a cerebral concussion and fracture to the left humerus and was admitted as a patient. Up to press time he had regained consciousness while hospital sources confirmed that Collins suffered a cerebral concussion and dislocated right clavicle. He too has been admitted to the New Amsterdam Hospital. His condition is listed as stable.
Details of the accidents are sketchy with relatives refusing to divulge information to the media. Howeve, this newspaper understands that the five were travelling in motor car numbers PRR 164 when the accident occurred. The five were returning home after dropping off a relative at the Canawaima Ferry Stelling [Guyana/Suriname ferry crossing. At Number 46 Village, tragedy occurred when the spare wheel which was being used on the car suffered a ‘blow out’ causing the car to veer off the road. It flew over a trench and ripped out a fence before slamming into a post and spinning onto a bridge. Eyewitnesses say in order to get the passengers out, the car had to first be moved. Reports indicate that Collins was the driver of the car at the time of the accident. Residents say they had to cut the seat belt to get him out of the wreckage. The front seat passenger was also locked in with a seat belt, eyewitnesses say.
Speaking with this publication, the dead teenager’s mother said she was unaware of the accident until late Tuesday afternoon. “I saw him morning time, and after that I didn’t see him back for the day. I kept asking for him but nobody told me anything,” the weeping mother said. According to her, the last conversation she had with her son was Tuesday when she warned him not to get into any fight as she left for work. Kissoondial leaves to mourn seven children.