Taxi driver struck down man at Plaisance, escaped

Vibert Sam of Lot 19 Prince William Street, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH). Despite reports from hospital sources that the man was taken to the medical institution early Sunday morning relatives informed this newspaper yesterday that Sam was rushed to GPH late Saturday night.

John Sam, proprietor of the Sam’s Bakery, told Stabroek News yesterday that he was not at home when the incident occurred. However, he understands Sam, 50, was in the process of crossing the stretch of public road just in front Prince William Street when he was hit by a speeding car.

“He [Sam] recently came to stay with me here,” John Sam said. “He lived at Mabura and his wife is expected to come down here today [yesterday].”

A witness, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the accident occurred some time after 8 pm on Saturday. Sam, the witness said, was crossing from the northern side of the road and was almost in the middle, where the double lane road is separated by a strip of grass sandwiched by concrete ledges, when he was hit by the taxi, HB 3337. The accident occurred a short distance away from the Sparendaam Police Station. The car, according to the witness, came speeding around a blind bend along the road.

“The car hit this man [Sam], pitch him more than 10 yards away and then slam into him again,” the witness recalled. “The first time he get hit, he just fly up in the air and pitch forward and then he get hit again.”

After HB 3337 hit Sam, the witness said, it continued speeding east along the road. Police, the man’s relatives said, are yet to arrest the driver.

“Is a good thing the car’s licence plate fall off when he hit the man,” the witness said. “If it wasn’t for that then the driver woulda been able to run.”

Sam’s arms were “grazed away until the bone was visible, the witness said, and there was “a big hole in his head”. Stabroek News had learnt from hospital sources that the man also sustained an injury to his chest.

Meanwhile, a Plaisance resident recalled being summoned that night to take the injured man to the hospital.

“He [Sam] is my neighbour,” the man said, “and I became aware that he’d been in an accident after some folks came calling me. They told me that no one wanted to take him to the hospital.”

The resident, with a shrug, said that he got out and took Sam to the hospital. He was outraged at the fact that people just walked by the injured man on the road and no effort was made to help Sam.

“This thing happened on Boxing night… it was the holiday but regardless of what day it is we should have been able to offer some help to this man,” another resident said. “In some ways those people who walked by Vibert and offered him no help are no better if not worse than the driver who hit him and then sped away.”

“A blind turn in the road,” said a businessman who operates along the stretch of road where the accident occurred, “makes it a more dangerous spot”. This, according to the businessman, is not the first accident which has occurred there.

“The blind turn,” he further stated, is not taken seriously by motorists and pedestrians, regardless of how careful they are, are at great risk when they contemplate crossing the road at this area.

Sam, when Stabroek News visited him at the High Dependency Unit yesterday afternoon, was conscious. However, he was unable to speak because he was receiving oxygen. He remains in serious condition.

“Well I don’t know what else to do or say,” John Sam said. “We can only pray that all will be well with him.”