Cuban dies in accident on Demerara Bridge access road

Gerardo Machado Valdivia, a 65-year-old Cuban of Providence, East Bank Demerara, died on Wednesday morning in an accident on the access road leading to the Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge.

In a release, Police Headquarters said the fatal accident occurred around 06:42 hrs.

Initial enquiries revealed that motor car #PAG 6631, driven by a 22-year-old resident of Hague, West Coast Demerara, was proceeding west along the southern driving lane of the southern carriageway of the road when the pedestrian reportedly attempted to cross the road from south to north. The driver reportedly applied the brakes and swerved to avoid a collision, but the right-side front portion of the vehicle collided with the pedestrian.

As a result of the collision, Valdivia was flung onto the northern carriageway, where he sustained injuries to his head and about his body. The driver of motor car #PAG 6631 then lost control of the vehicle, which collided with the concrete median, spun, and ended up on the northern carriageway, where it collided with motor car #PAM 2461, driven by a 28-year-old resident of Recht-Door-Zee, West Bank Demerara, and motor hire car #HC 723, driven by a 54-year-old resident of Onderneeming, West Bank Demerara. Both of these vehicles were which were proceeding east along the road.

Emergency Medical Technicians were summoned to the scene, and Valdivia was examined by a doctor on duty and pronounced dead at the scene.

The body was then escorted to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home Mortuary, where it awaits a post-mortem examination.

Breathalyser tests were conducted on the drivers involved, and no trace of alcohol was found in their breath. The drivers are presently in police custody assisting with the ongoing investigations.