Shot driver says he was determined to save his life, passengers

By Zoisa Fraser

The diver of the pick-up that came under heavy gunfire while leaving the Ogle aerodrome on Tuesday says it was the determination to save his life and those of his four passengers that made him drive to safety despite a gunshot wound.
Thirty-two-year-old Michael Jackson, a resident of Kitty, is currently a patient of the High Dependency Unit (HDU) of the Georgetown Hospital after undergoing surgery to remove the bullet that was lodged in his rear.

When this newspaper visited him, he was complaining of stiffness in his left leg and it was being rubbed down with oil by a relative.

Still feeling a bit of pain, Jackson, a driver attached to an interior charter service recalled three gunmen opening fire on his vehicle just after he drove out of the aerodrome on Tuesday afternoon.

At the time of the incident, he was transporting Margaret Maxius, a flight dispatcher at the said charter service, two female cleaners and a porter. One of the cleaners, Vanessa Mendonca sustained serious cuts to both knees from shattered glass and was admitted to the Georgetown Hospital while the others escaped unhurt.

Asked why he continued driving after he was shot, Jackson replied “That is part of my work. I kept driving because I knew that I had to save my lives and those of the others”.

He said that the woman in the front seat (Maxius) is a co-worker while he was giving the others a lift. He stressed that he was still feeling some pain adding that he was thankful that his life was spared.

According to Jackson he transports foodstuff coming out of the interior but at the time of the attack he had not collected anything. He said that several empty drums and buckets were in the tray of the pick-up.

He further said that robbery is the only motive for the attack. According to Jackson he would leave the aerodrome around the same time everyday.

On Tuesday night police had said that they are looking for four men whose call names are `Trini’; `Yankee’; `Capone’ and `Sandman’ in connection with the suspected attempted robbery at Ogle.

It is unclear how police may have recognized the gunmen. The occupants of the pick-up this newspaper spoke with did not recall knowing the men. They said that all they saw were guns and were just concentrating on reaching safety.
Efforts to get a comment from police on this proved futile and up to press time there was no reports of any of the suspects being nabbed.

It was around noon that gunfire erupted in the quiet East Coast Demerara community. Residents recalled seeing a burgundy-coloured car chasing after a dark coloured pick-up. They said that the occupants in the car were shooting wildly at vehicle speeding ahead.

From all accounts the chase started around the area where one turns onto the access road and ended at the railway line. Countless bullets were fired and the pick-up was bullet-riddled. A 7.62 x 39 spent shell and a warhead at the scene by the police.

Stabroek News was told that when the pick-up turned left onto the access road the occupants noticed a maroon-coloured car which appeared to be an AT 192 Carina model parked at the side of the road.

The attackers armed with “long guns” were standing nearby and as the pick-up approached the men just opened fire before jumping into their vehicle and continuing to fire as the two vehicles sped north along the road.

Mendonca told this newspaper on Tuesday that when the men started firing Jackson continued driving and everyone else in the vehicle was screaming. According to her despite Jackson being shot they urged him to continue driving but when they reached the public road he let go of the steering wheel. He later lost consciousness.
She recounted that by some miracle the vehicle managed to turn.

While the gunmen were shooting, she added the glass on the left side of the vehicle was shattered as a result of which she sustained cuts. She recalled that they were screaming as the two vehicles sped along the road. When they raised their heads shortly after crossing over the railway line, the car with the gunmen was nowhere in sight.

Mendonca said the car may have turned down the Railway Line while Jackson went straight across in the direction of the public road. They managed to reach the Sparendaam Police Station nearby.