Two injured after bus plunges off highway

A Route 43 (Linden to Georgetown) minibus BLL 8710 careened off the Linden/Soesdyke Highway early yesterday afternoon leaving the driver and another passenger hospitalized.

The damaged route 43 minibus

The mishap took place at Hauraruni on the Linden/Soeskyke Highway as the minibus was heading to Georgetown.
At the scene Stabroek News was told that there were 14 passengers and one conductor in the bus at the time. The bus suffered a blowout of its left rear tire causing the driver Clinton John aka ‘Boney’, to lose control of the vehicle.

The bus careened off the highway and toppled several times before coming to a halt some distance in some bushes along the road. John and passenger Rushell Forde were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) where they were treated and admitted. All the other passengers were treated for minor injuries and sent home.

Part owner of the bus Suzette George said that she was informed of the accident after 2 pm but was told that no one was seriously injured. “But when I get here and see the condition of this bus it had to be a miracle that no one died or is critical.”

The bus is sitting at the police checkpoint on the highway. Meanwhile, when Stabroek News visited the GPH John’s wife Andrea was waiting for the man to be
x-rayed. The woman said she had spoken with her husband and it “didn’t look as though he suffered any life threatening injury”.

Just after 9 pm when this newspaper re-visited the medical institution Forde was still in theatre. His wife said he had sustained several broken ribs as well as internal injuries.

At the time there were no relatives at the medical institution for Forde. This newspaper understands that the woman, who is in the early stages of pregnancy, was waiting to undergo surgery.
She was later admitted to the Female Surgical Ward.