Taxi driver hospitalised after collision with ministry pick-up

A taxi driver is now hospitalised after he was injured during an accident on Wednesday involving a Ministry of Agriculture vehicle.

Colin Williams, 44, of Goed Fortuin Public Road, is a patient of the Male Surgical Ward of the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH), where he is recuperating after sustaining injuries on Wednesday afternoon.

Williams yesterday explained that the accident occurred at around 3pm as he was proceeding west on Church Street near Carmichael Street. He said his car was hit by a pick-up, which had been heading in a northern direction.

Injured: Colin Williams
Injured: Colin Williams

His car, he said, spun around before coming to a stop. Though he tried to get out of his vehicle to assess the damage, he was only able to do so for less than a minute before he was overtaken by pain; he returned to the driver’s seat of his car while the other driver swiftly got out of his own vehicle and began to make calls.

“He called the ministry first before he call the police,” Williams said.

Shortly after, he went on, other ministry officials arrived on the scene and subsequently took him to the GPH for treatment, while he was left there to fend for himself. According to Williams, he suffered injuries to his neck and along his spinal column. He is expected to undergo CT scans along with an MRI scan today. He also said that surgery is expected.

Since the Wednesday accident, he is yet to be visited by anyone from the ministry, he said. Though the police stopped by yesterday morning, they were unable to take a statement due to Williams’ extreme pain.

By yesterday afternoon, they had promised to return today to collect a statement from Williams.

Meanwhile, Williams is concerned about the fate of his six children; they all depend on him, he noted. His youngest is seven, while the eldest is a 20-year-old University of Guyana student. Three of his children are in secondary school, while the remaining two are in primary school.

“Who providing for my children now?” Williams questioned. He added, “I can’t do much; I’m just in so much pain. I can’t even move. I was talking to my children and they’re just crying; they’re just taking on.”

According to Williams, he learnt from the police that the driver was placed on station bail. “Nobody ain’t come to see me saying anything; all it is I’m here in pain,” he lamented.