THE Guyana Police Force has launched a thorough investigation into an incident which occurred at Hopetown, West Coast Berbice (WCB), that saw a car being set ablaze on Sunday night.

According to a police press release, the incident began around 17:26hrs on Sunday when a 19-year-old of Bath Settlement, went to the Fort Wellington Police Station and reported that as he was driving motor car PNN 1801 along the Hopetown Public Road, two men on pedal cycles rode in front of him, causing him to collide with one of them.

In the driver’s initial report to the police, he said that subsequently a crowd gathered at the scene and persons robbed him of his phone and gold chain.

It was noted that a rank at the station uplifted a medical certificate and attempted to escort the teen to seek medical attention at the Fort Wellington Public Hospital, where the teen’s father, a 43-year-old businessman began verbally abusing the ranks.

The teen further refused to be escorted to the hospital and instead left in another vehicle.

Ranks at the station later left to visit the scene of the accident at Hopetown and upon arrival, the said motor car was seen stationary on the southern footpath facing south with extensive damage to the front.

Members of the public pulled the vehicle from that position for it to be escorted to the Fort Wellington Police station.

The police, in its release, then stated that angry residents lifted the vehicle back to the southern side of the road and began to damage the vehicle.

“The police at the scene tried to calm the crowd, but several persons began to vandalise the vehicle, and some chanted, ‘let’s burn the vehicle’,” the release said.

A private tow truck was contacted to take the vehicle to the police station and whilst loading, some persons attempted to prevent the vehicle from being loaded onto the truck.

The police said: “However, the angry residents threw a liquid substance on the motor car and started to throw missiles at the vehicles… the crowd became uncontrollable and damaged the front windshield of the tow truck, the side glass and other parts of the vehicle and then they set fire to motor car PNN 1801.”

Subsequently, the tow truck left the scene after the Guyana Fire Service was contacted and later arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire.

The information which was later received by the police showed that two cyclists, a 22-year-old serving member of the Guyana Defence Force and a 14-year-old pedal cyclist were taken to Fort Wellington Public Hospital, where they were examined by a doctor.

The 14-year-old was treated and sent away while the 22-year-old was referred to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he was further seen and examined by a doctor and was later admitted as a patient to be treated for injuries to his head and body.

The police say that the GDF rank’s condition is regarded as stable, as the probe into the matter continues.