…pedal cyclist critical

A MOTORCYCLIST met an untimely end late Sunday afternoon when he crashed into a pedal cyclist along Mandela Avenue, in the vicinity of the National Gymnasium.

The dead man has been identified as Leon Wilkins of ‘B’ Field Sophia. The pedal cyclist has been identified as Seon Cooke, 31, a father of one, of Lamaha Street, Georgetown.

Cooke was clinging to his life when he was picked up by an ambulance and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for treatment. He is said to be in a stable condition. He sustained head injuries as well as lacerations to his hands and parts of his torso. Wilkins, who was pronounced dead on the scene by medical officials, sustained mainly head injuries.

Reports are that moments before the accident, Wilkins, who was riding an ‘R6’ -Yamaha model motorcycle, stopped to buy gas at an outlet opposite the Rubis Gas Station on Mandela Avenue, shortly before 18:00hrs.
The man then sped-off and headed north along the roadway when he collided with the pedal cyclist who was crossing the roadway in the vicinity of the gymnasium.

Eyewitnesses noted that the motorcyclist was riding at such a fast rate that the bike ended up more than 100 meters away from the point of impact. The bike was left lying in front of the gates of the National Gymnasium. The accident resulted in a build-up of traffic along the roadway while the police attempted to maintain order as a large gathering of onlookers converged on the scene. Police are investigating the accident.

Over the weekend, at least four persons died in separate accidents on the country’s roadways, with speeding cited as the main factor which contributed to the accidents.