Latest update November 15th, 2024 1:00 AM
Mabura Road accident…Two dead in bus & truck collision
Two accidents on the Mabura Road which occurred within minutes of each other yesterday midday have resulted in the death of two persons and severe injuries to several others.
The first accident involving a truck and minibus occurred in the vicinity of 35 miles Mabura Road, while the second one occurred in the vicinity of the Rockstone junction. All of the injured were transported to the Linden Hospital Complex, where they received emergency treatment, and some were admitted. 
One man was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
So far only one of the dead, Mellissa Douglas, a six-month-old baby, has been identified; the other person Elvis Bennett, who was reportedly driving the bus but changed over before the accident occurred, died on the spot.
Little Mellissa was returning to Mahdia with her mother, Bonita Douglas, when the accident occurred. She was pronounced dead on arrival at the Linden Hospital Complex. The mother was in an unconscious state.
Thirteen persons were reportedly in the bus at the time of the accident, and according to reports the bus had been speeding and was also in the wrong lane.
Those in the bus were the driver Kurtis Garraway of Nandy Park Georgetown, Vernon Kryenhoff of 9 New Road Vreed-en-Hoop, 27-year-old Carla Johnson of Mahdia, 33-year- old Natasha Young of Cane Grove, Simone Lyte and Grover Adams. Those in the truck were George Allen and his son Sekkey Jassento.
Natasha Young, who suffered lacerations to the face, said that she was on her way to spend the weekend with her husband who works at Mahdia.
The second accident involved a pickup which turned turtle several times after the vehicle reportedly suffered a blowout.
According to a passenger in the pickup, they had just passed the accident scene with the truck and minibus, and had been looking at the dead man, only minutes before their accident occurred. Those in the pickup were Kevon Garraway, Henry Reid, Ravi Merai and Jeffrey Wong.
The driver of the pickup PNN 4440, Ravi Merai, said that he had driven the vehicle up to fifty-eight miles before his boss Jeffrey Wong took over the driving.
They were reportedly heading to Georgetown from Mahdia.
Kevon Garraway said, ‘We de just pass the first accident, and we see this dead man in the bus; they had he lying down, then a little after all I know is we coming round the corner. We moving li’l speed and the back of the vehicle start to spin. The vehicle start slide and go in the corner–straight in the corner. Then it topple like three times, and I fall out and it topple straight over me.”
Garraway’s mother, Marcie, was one of the first persons to arrive at the hospital to check for her son. The worried woman became frantic after she was at first refused entry to the Accident an Emergency Unit.
Minutes later she was all smiles after she realized her son was safe.
Several persons travelled from Georgetown to Linden to check on their relatives after hearing about the accidents.
Carlette Williams, a sister of Bonita Douglas, said that Bonita had left only yesterday morning to travel back to Mahdia after spending two days with her at Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara.
“We get the news of the accident a little after midday, and right away we travelled up to see what really going on. When we come here we understand that she is unconscious, and the baby dead,” a teary-eyed Williams reported.
Another man, Earl Williams, also turned up at the hospital to see whether the unidentified dead driver, was his brother Elvis Bennett, who he said sometimes drives a bus to Mahdia.
Some of the injured were transported to Linden by car, the driver of which wished to remain anonymous.
Another accident victim, 35-year-old Benjamin Garraway was up to press time undergoing surgery.
According to informed sources the man was suffering from internal bleeding and was in dire need of blood.
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