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Woman perishes as another lorry topples in interior
For the second time in less than a week, a truck accident in Guyana’s interior has claimed the life of another person.
This time the victim is 35-year-old Angela Lawrence who was pronounced dead at the Matthew’s Ridge Hospital after she was pinned by the truck in which she was traveling on Tuesday.
Police in a statement said that around 16:00 hours that day, the driver of motor lorry GPP 5582 was proceeding along the trail at Longhill, North West District, when he lost control of the vehicle which toppled.
Hugh Denhert
Lawrence, who hails from Mabaruma, NWD, and who was in the cab of the vehicle was pinned and later pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
Three other persons Benny Boyer, 43 of Mabaruma, Mark Allen, 16 of Port Kaituma and Eon Williams, 18 of Haimaracabra, Moruca, were air dashed to the city and are in critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
The driver of the truck is in police custody assisting with the investigations.
Tuesday’s accident comes just three days after a similar tragedy occurred along the Buck Hall, Essequibo trail.
On that occasion four persons who were in the tray of a truck perished after they too were pinned when the vehicle turned turtle.
Several other persons have perished in similar circumstances, which have led the Guyana Police Force to advise owners and drivers of pickup vehicles and motor lorries, that the practice of transporting passengers in the tray of their vehicles is constituting a road safety concern.
According to the police, persons are only allowed to travel in the trays of motor pick-ups and motor lorries under special circumstances.
The driver must ensure that seats with safety restraints are securely fixed to the bed of the tray and that the required permit to so transport persons is obtained from the Police Divisional Certifying Office.
“This advisory is to attend to the safety of persons who are vulnerable, should there be a road accident as in the case where on July 7, 2012. Motor lorry GNN 2826 was travelling along the Sand Trail, Cuyuni, with five persons in the tray. While the lorry was descending a hill, the driver lost control. The motor lorry turned turtle pinning Orin Hutson, 20, of Diamond, East Bank Demerara, who was in the tray and who later succumbed to his injuries,” the police said.
Also on December 17, 2012, motor Pick-up GPP 5011 was conveying a number of persons in the tray. While negotiating a turn at Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, the driver lost control of the vehicle which spun around throwing the occupants out of the vehicle. Rohan Simon, 18, of Vevay, Mahaica sustained injuries later died.
The Traffic Department of the Guyana Police Force will be taking the appropriate measures to ensure that drivers/operators of pick-up vehicles and motor lorries comply with the safety requirement.
So far this year the police have recorded 31 road fatalities, nine more than the corresponding period last year.
The road fatality figures do not include most of the fatalities that occur in the interior.
According to a senior police official, deaths that occur as a result of accidents occurring on trails or roads not gazetted as public roadways are not added to the road fatality figures.
“By definition, fatal accidents are those which occur on public roadways. If a person dies from an accident in your yard, it is not considered a fatal accident in our books,” the official stated.
Motorcyclists with seven, make up the largest category of road users who have lost their lives up to the end of March.
In addition, six pedestrians, six pedal cyclists, five drivers of motor vehicles are among the others who have been killed in road accidents.
According to the police, speeding continues to be a major contributory factor to fatal accidents and was the cause of 21 of the 26 fatal accidents recorded at the end of March 2013.
Drunk driving is also another worrying factor that resulted in road accidents and fatalities.
Traffic Chief, Hugh Denhert, told this newspaper that the police will be clamping down heavily on drunk driving even if it means affecting the business of nightspots.
He said that the police cannot be everywhere all the time and the onus is on drivers to ensure they comply with the law.
He also called on barkeepers to assist in this area.
“I was in New Mexico at a drinking place and the barman restricted us. He saw that we had consumed enough and stopped selling us. In Guyana you could be staggering or falling down going to the bar and they would still sell you more liquor,” the Traffic Chief stated.
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