Dear Editor,
I live on Irving Street and I saw the fire truck involved in that accident last Sunday speed past my home with sirens blaring – on the other side of the road, i.e., it was going the wrong way up Vlissengen Road.
I cannot say for sure where the truck came from but I am almost certain it travelled east up Crown Street then crossed the bridge into Vlissengen Road – going north on what is a southbound road.
Vehicles moved out of its way so there are other witnesses to this.
I was puzzled and thought the truck was responding to a fire in Kitty or Campbellville and I actually looked up to the sky to see whether there was any smoke. The sky was clear.
I was further puzzled when the truck, going north on Vlissengen Road, then turned west into Lamaha Street. If, as I now learn, it was heading for the East Coast, why not commit to continuing north on Vlissengen Road? Vehicles were moving out of its path. Why would the driver decide to negotiate the tight S-bend at Lamaha-Vlissengen-Irving Streets to get back on the correct side of the road?
I watched the truck as it turned into Lamaha Street. I heard no impact and saw no impact at that point. I then turned away.
I think there should be a full investigation into this tragedy. I am sure the police can tell what really happened by the skid marks and where the vehicles ended up.
If Mr Frank De Abreu was coming south along Vlissengen Road, he might have thought that the truck was going to continue up that road and he might have turned west into Lamaha to try and get out of the path of the truck – only to have the truck turn into his path.
I cannot say for sure that that was what happened.
I do know what I saw. The truck was on Vlissengen Road and turned west into Lamaha. It was not travelling north along Irving Street as has been stated. Had it been, there might well have been no accident.
I am not putting my name to this letter because speaking the truth in Guyana can be a very dangerous thing to do.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address supplied)
