Housing minister’s vehicle, motorcycle collide

Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali yesterday morning collided with a motor cycle at the corners of D’Urban and George Streets.

Ali who is also the acting Tourism Minister escaped unhurt while the driver of the motor cycle and his pillion rider sustained injuries to their legs.

When Stabroek News made contact with the Minister he said that he was in a meeting and could not speak.

Based on the accounts of eyewitnesses the collision occurred just after 10 am. The Minister was said to be the driver of a black land cruiser bearing licence plate number PPP 7328 on D’Urban Street heading in the direction High Street, while the motorcycle was on the same street but heading in the opposite direction.

One man told Stabroek News that it was when Ali was turning into George Street that he hit the motor cycle. 20141005left side

Damage to the side of the vehicle that the minister was said to be driving at the time of the collision.
Damage to the side of the vehicle that the minister was said to be driving at the time of the collision.

Ali came out almost immediately and within minutes the two injured men were being lifted into the Minister’s vehicle which then drove off, presumably to the hospital.

This newspaper was told that both men were conscious but appeared to be in pain. The motor cyclist’s knee was swollen and there was a wound at the back of his leg, while the pillion rider had injuries to one of his legs.

According to one man after the collision both men were pitched off the motorcycle and landed several feet away. A drawing on the roadway indicated where one of the men had landed.

The motorcycle which was damaged remained at the side of the road for about an hour until it was taken away in a pick-up. The police never visited the scene to investigate.

At the scene, what appeared to be parts of the motor cycle were still lying on the roadway.

Later in the day this newspaper received reports that the vehicle that Ali was allegedly driving at the time of the accident was parked outside a private city hospital. Neither the Minister nor the injured men were in sight. There were signs of minor damage to the side of the vehicle in addition to which the crash bar was damaged.