An SUV which was transporting Minister in the Ministry of Finance Juan Edghill and four other passengers crashed yesterday morning while travelling along the Linden-Kwakwani dirt road on the way to Aroaima, Berbice River.
None of the occupants was seriously injured in the accident, and the Office of the President made arrangements for the team to be airlifted out of the area to the capital city. Officials from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) later confirmed that each of the injured had been treated for minor injuries and were sent away. Speaking to Stabroek News from his home yesterday afternoon, Edghill explained that the team was on assignment to Aroaima to check on finished and ongoing
works in the area. While driving to a destination, he recalled, the SUV turned turtle several times before coming to a halt.
“We are all grateful to be alive. It was an unfortunate incident that could have been fatal, but we believe we experienced divine protection,” the minister said in a statement. He said that he was unaware of what caused the accident.
Edghill, on behalf of the other injured occupants of the SUV, thanked the Bauxite Company of Guyana, the Office of the President and the staff of the GPHC for the roles they played in rendering assistance.
He also thanked the Finance Secretary and other staff of his subject ministry for keeping his well-being in mind during the ordeal.
Meanwhile, Regional Vice Chairman Byron Lewis, Lewis, who has been a resident of Kwakwani for over twenty five years and is quite familiar with the road, told Stabroek News that the area in which the accident occurred has a number of sharp turns. He said it was one of the issues that residents had protested over four weeks ago.
He said that apart from the atrocious state of the road, one of the things that sparked the protest was that two persons died while being transported from the area to Linden for medical attention.
