Several injured in Corentyne minibus crash

Several persons were injured in a minibus crash that occurred on the Borlam turn, Number 19 Village, Corentyne on Monday.

The accident occurred at about 5.30 pm.

Stabroek News understood that two passengers were seriously injured whilst others were treated for minor injuries and sent away.  Of the two injured persons, one sustained a fractured hand whilst, the other’s ear was severed.  SN was unable to confirm the names of the injured persons.

Passengers reported that the driver Kris (only name given) was speeding on the Number 19 road, whilst coming from New Amsterdam. As he approached the turn at Borlam, he continued to speed trying to overtake two motor cars when he lost control of the minibus PSS 981, which toppled several times, hit a telephone pole that broke in half, and landed in the nearby trench with passengers.

The crumpled bus
The crumpled bus

Stabroek News was told by eyewitnesses that they heard a loud noise on the road and when they rushed out on the road they saw the motor vehicle in the trench. Public-spirited citizens rushed to the scene to lend assistance. The injured persons were rushed to the hospital by citizens who were on the road, in passing vehicles.

This publication also learnt that whilst citizens were lending assistance to the injured, the driver  fled the scene. A passenger Daniel Budhoo who sustained minor injuries to his abdomen recalled passengers in the bus had been pleading with the driver to stop speeding but he paid no heed. He also said that the bus had a fair number of passengers.

When this newspaper visited the scene some minutes after, an excavator was attempting to remove the crumpled vehicle from the trench.

The vehicle is said to belong to Doodnauth Mathoor of Cromarty, Corentyne.