The president was journeying to Linden for the official opening of its new hospital complex.
At about 12.30 pm, police said in a press statement last evening, “a Presidential escort vehicle suffered a puncture” while travelling along the Loo Creek stretch of road along the Soesdyke/Linden Highway. As a result, police reported, the driver lost control of the vehicle and it “ran off the road”. Two ranks, they said, sustained minor injuries, were treated at the McKenzie Hospital and released.
Stabroek News learnt from a police source that the vehicle, leading another transporting Jagdeo, suffered a puncture to its right rear tire and subsequently lost control. It flipped several times before coming to a halt in bushes on the opposite side of the highway.
Mahendra Singh, 23, the driver of the vehicle; Dhaniram Gopaul, 32, and Rameshwar Henry, 32, were the occupants of the lead vehicle. The three, according to the police source, sustained minor injuries and two were fitted with neck braces before being released from the MacKenzie Hospital.
The vehicle, PKK 2052, was damaged “beyond repair”, the source also reported.
When Stabroek News visited the stretch of road shortly after 2pm yesterday the wrecked vehicle had already been carted away. There was nothing remaining in the area which hinted that an accident had occurred there earlier.
