A 26-year-old tradesman had a narrow brush with death on the De Hoop, Mahaica Public Road, East Coast Demerara last Thursday.

It happened when one of two cows, tied and left to graze at the roadside, suddenly ran into the path of the motorcycle he was riding and threw him prostrate on the ground.
The accident occurred around 17:30 hrs as the young man was making his way home.
But even though the accident did not turn out fatal, the motorcyclist sustained severe injuries and is currently warded at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Among injuries he suffered are what appear to be a compound fracture to the right leg, a dislocated knee, along with swelling in the lower region of the right foot and ankle.
His jaws are both swollen, which is consistent with fractures, while there is a cut on his mouth which had to be sutured. He is unable to bite or chew, and so has difficulty eating.
His father is hopping mad over the suffering caused to his son by what he describes as the callousness and negligence of the cows’ owner.

The irate man recalled that on the afternoon of the accident, the owners of the animals–a heifer and a bull–promised they were going to enter into a settlement.
But after not seeing them, he made discreet enquiries, only to learn that the heifer had been sold the same night.

Quite rightfully, the man is perturbed, since he claims that the police have not yet visited his son in hospital and taken any statement, but yet had disposed of the animal so that it cannot now be tendered in court as evidence.

Meanwhile, the accident having taken place in Mahaica, the victim was first rushed to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital, and hours later transferred to the GPHC.
But shortly after being admitted to the institution, he was told that he would have to be transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital.
But there is a snag, since, given the injuries to the leg, he cannot travel in a hire car as he was advised to do.

Now the family is appealing to the authorities to let good sense prevail and have him sent home by ambulance, since, according to his father, his son is in no condition to travel all that distance from Georgetown to New Amsterdam, neither has he been given any briefing on his son’s condition and what they need to do at home in relation to his injuries.

The latest word on the matter is that the patient would be kept at the GPHC until such time as an ambulance comes from New Amsterdam to Georgetown to bring an emergency case to the GPHC.