Marine traffic halted after Turkeyen man drives off Demerara Harbour Bridge
Marine traffic has been halted after a 45-year-old man lost control of his vehicle and ran off the Demerara Harbour Bridge resulting in damage to the bridge’s hydraulic cabin.
Police Commander of Region Four (B) Kurleigh Simon told Stabroek News yesterday that the incident occurred at around 11:30 pm on Monday.
He said the driver of the motorcar identified himself as 45-year-old Dale Calder of Turkeyen, Georgetown. He said Calder claimed that his right front wheel suffered a blow out which caused him to lose control of his vehicle. As a result, he said, the car ran off the bridge, damaging certain parts of the bridge in the process and landed on a pontoon before plunging into the river. Simon added that Calder was alone in the vehicle at the time and sustained only minor injuries. He was subsequently rescued and taken into police custody to assist with investigations after which he was later released.
At the time he was contacted, Simon said the vehicle was still submerged and it was Calder’s responsibility to retrieve the vehicle from the river.
Officials from the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation confirmed that the bridge did sustain some amount of damage but assured that it did not affect the flow of traffic.
Stabroek News was unable to contact the corporation’s General Manager, Rawlston Adams, concerning the damage that the bridge sustained but a report by the Department of Public Information (DPI) stated that the bridge’s hydraulic cabin, which is the main unit that retracts the bridge, was damaged. As a result, marine traffic was halted. “The damages are, the hydraulic fuel tank and the pipes are broken. We have to remove the entire cabin, take it into the [workshop] and have it fixed,” Adams told DPI.
Further, he stated, “We are not sure of any critical components being damaged. For now, we cannot retract the western side of the bridge and large vessels will not be able to pass through.” He added that they are uncertain when the bridge will be fully operational but once the damage is assessed, that information along with the cost of repairs will be made known.