Several injured in East Coast Demerara smash-up

By Leroy Smith

A speeding route 44 minibus carrying passengers this morning slammed into a culvert and landed on its side, causing several persons to be pinned inside the wreck.

The injured were rushed to the hospital by Emergency Medical Technicians.

According to information reaching the News Room, the minibus which was heading east, overtook a line of vehicles on a solid double line at Montrose, E.C.D and failed to comfortably make it back into its lane on time.

The minibus “clipped” a car, PVV 4150 before slamming into a culvert and ending up on its side.

Incidentally, there were two fire tenders travelling from the East Coast of Demerara (E.C.D) to Georgetown following a fire they responded to, at Coldigen E.C.D. The firefighters used their tools to cut the trapped passengers out of the wrecked minibus.

Several persons converged on the scene of the accident while other drivers commented that indeed the minibus was speeding as it had earlier passed them on the lower east coast.

Relatives of the injured were also gathered at the scene even as the undercarriage of the minibus displayed the extent of the damage.

When the minibus was finally put back on its wheels, the left side of the vehicle was completely mangled as was the front of the vehicle.

Had it not been for the culvert, the minibus would have ended up in a very deep drainage channel in the vicinity.

The driver of the minibus has been admitted to the GPHC while the driver of the car is in police custody.