Quick-thinking truck driver turns into fence to spare occupants of car

The quick-thinking driver of a truck managed to avert a more serious accident following a collision with a car by driving his vehicle into a fence yesterday morning. He sustained a fractured leg and several minor injuries after his truck collided with the car at the busy intersection near Rahaman’s Park on the East Bank of Demerara.

Reports are that around 9.30 am yesterday morning, the truck and an AT 212 Toyota car were heading to the city when the driver of the car with four occupants attempted to cut in front of the truck at the turn, resulting in the collision. The car sustained several scratches to its side while the driver of the truck avoided further damage to the smaller vehicle by driving the truck into a nearby fence.

According to an eyewitness, the two vehicles were heading in each of the two lanes, past the entrance to the Gafoors Shopping Complex when the driver of the car attempted to turn into the left lane in front of the truck, leading to the collision. He said the sides of the car were damaged, while the quick-thinking truck driver manoeuvered the heavy vehicle and headed for the fence.

The driver of this truck sustained a fractured leg as well as other minor injuries  following a collision with a car near Rahaman’s Park at Houston on the East Bank of Demerara yesterday morning.

“This truck man coulda slam straight into  the car but he just drive straight into that sign where the Christmas Tree does be and head for the fence… them people in the car should be grateful to he,” the man said.

He said that another truck was stopped and that driver assisted in pulling the damaged vehicle out of a ditch and the fence into which it had swerved.  A welding torch was then used to pull the injured driver and another occupant from the vehicle. The other occupant as well as the occupant of the car escaped with minor injuries while the driver of the truck was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital for treatment.

He was said to be in a stable condition when this newspaper visited the medical institution yesterday. The driver of the car was taken into police custody at the Ruimveldt Police Station yesterday.