An early morning accident along the Mabura Road has left one dead and eight persons injured, three of them seriously when a Route 72 minibus and a pick-up collided head on. A 21-month-old infant was the only one to escape unscathed.
Dead is Diaz Trevor Trotz, 27, of Mahdia and Vreed-en-Hoop. Those nursing serious injuries are the bus driver Ephraim Parris aka ‘Bounty’, a 37-year-old father of 10 of Linden and Melanie Damishana; conductor of the bus Leroy Floyd aka ‘Dag‘ of Linden; and Anthony Harris, 44. The three along with Trotz who was still alive when he reached the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) were slated to be transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).
Up to 3.30 pm yesterday only Parris had been sent to the GPH. He sustained injuries to his lower extremities and was in a semi-conscious state.
Trotz was all set to be transferred but owing to his size and the shortage of ambulances this was delayed. His father Police Sergeant Trotz was trying to arrange private transportation for his son.
The other two were also waiting to be transferred.
Admitted to the LHC with head and neck injuries were the driver of the pick-up truck Elon Newton, 18, of Soesdyke and the infant’s mother Latoya Blake, 19, of Block 22 Wismar, Linden.
Treated and sent home were passenger of the pick-up Jamil Parris, 21, of Linden, and bus passengers Michael Gilkes and Ezzard Anthony, 29, of Charity, Essequibo.
The accident took place on a blind turn at 58 Miles Mabura Road some time between the hours of 5 am and 7 am. Giving an account of what he recalled prior to the collision the porter of the pick-up Jamil Parris said that they had just left the 58 Miles gas station where they purchased breakfast and refuelled as they were journeying to Konawaruk. “Just as we reach de top of de hill and teking the turn, all I hear he [Elon Newton] saying ‘look deh, look deh’ and he start pulling for de corner.” The two vehicles however collided. “De bus spin and face back where he de coming from,“ said Parris.
Newton told a similar story adding that though injured, he had jumped out of his vehicle and rushed to the minibus because he realized it was in a serious state: “Fat man [Trotz] pitch through the front windscreen and left hanging on de front of the bus.” Newton said he assisted in lifting the 27-year-old before rushing to the aid of the driver and other passengers.
Ezzard Anthony said he was in the middle of the bus and was thrown through a side window on impact. Michael Gilkes, who had just a few minor injuries about his body, said that all he recalled was seeing the pick-up coming ahead of them, “then was bladdam; dah is all I remember.”
Blake was in a state of shock, although since her baby was in her arms she managed to shield h
im so he escaped without a scratch.
Trotz, Parris and Floyd arrived at the LHC some time after 10 am in the open tray of a pick-up while the others arrived at different times between 10.30 am and 12 pm.
Relatives of the injured criticised the LHC, which at the time had only one board stretcher on which to place patients before wheeling them into the Accident and Emergency Unit. They also complained about the unavailability of porters, since the two there had to be shuffling between the X-ray unit and the emergency unit.
There were expressions of disgust especially from the relatives of the seriously injured. On two occasions Floyd was put into the ambulance and taken out again as it was not equipped to transport two patients at a time. The ambulance was also forced to return to the A and E ramp twice because Parris had not been properly secured in a fixed position. “Look at dis, you just look at dis,” cried one of the man’s relatives. A nurse noted the need for another ambulance. “These are the things we want reported; you see what‘s going on here?“ said the LHC nurse.
The nurses and doctors however came in for high praise for the professional manner in which they dealt with the accident victims.
Up to press time Newton was under police guard at the LHC and statements were taken from Jamil Parris and Gilkes.
Gilkes disputed the claim that Newton was driving the pick-up at the time of the accident.
“You telling me I am a blind man? I see you [Jamil Parris] in the driver seat when I come out de bus,“ Gilkes said.
Jamil Parris denied the allegation stating that the security camera at the gas station could supply evidence of him being in the passenger seat. Jamil Parris is not the holder of a driver‘s licence.
The bus is owned by Ephraim Parris, while the pick-up is said to be property of a prominent interior businessman, whose name was given as Floyd, of Silvercity Wismar, aka Rainbow 2000.
