One dies in Lethem accident

Jul 11, 2010 News

The wrecked vehicle

Passengers had begged driver to “slow down”

Ronald Johnny, 61, one of the three survivors of last Friday’s accident at Lethem, said that he had begged pickup driver, Aaron Batson, to slow down.
Johnny, who sustained a fractured skull and injuries to the hand, is recovering at the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Male surgical ward.
Aaron Batson, according to hospital sources, died from multiple head injuries after he lost control of his pickup truck while trying to avoid a pothole.
Batson, who hails from Bagotville West Bank Demerara, was pronounced dead on arrival at the Annai Health Centre. His relatives refused to speak to the media.
Johnny told Kaieteur News, yesterday, that he and his son, Jordan Johnny, 17, were heading back to Lethem when the accident occurred.
The elderly man said that Batson was warned twice by the passengers to slow down.
“We begged him to slow down….because he was going really fast,” Johnny said.
He further told this publication that Batson was about to make a turn, but he was in too much of a speed to notice the large pothole in the road.
The man said that when the driver saw the large pothole it was too late, and he tried his best to swerve away from it.
The vehicle turned turtle on the road. Johnny said he was hurled from the vehicle. Johnny said that he lost consciousness briefly and was taken to the Annai Health centre, before being transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
The man said that the other passengers were pinned in the pickup, while the driver was outside and the pickup was on top of him. Johnny said that Batson was moaning in pain, but that soon died away.
Eventually Johnny said that persons at the accident scene managed to hoist the pickup and remove Batson.
Also injured in the accident were Jordan Johnny, 17, of Karasabai Village, North West District; and Clairmont St Clair, of Sophia. They were all discharged from the Georgetown Public Hospital, yesterday.
A fourth person, Nelson Rodriguez, was treated at the Annai Health Centre.