Victims recount horror of container truck crash outside of crusade
-say driver was under the influence
Victims of the horrific accident on Wednesday night when a container truck crashed into a religious crusade site on the Victoria Public Road, East Coast Demerara were yesterday counting themselves lucky to be alive.
Nine vehicles including the truck were damaged in the process. Four persons were injured. The vehicles helped spare the crusaders from more serious injuries.
According to eyewitnesses, the driver of the truck which was transporting a container at the time it collided with a car, PKK 8790, was under the influence of alcohol. Stabroek News understands that the driver refused to take a breathalyzer test. He is currently in custody assisting with investigations.
Carl Gordon, the owner of the car recounted that about 9 pm he was on the Belfield public road and had slowed to allow the lorry to pass. However instead, it collided with the right side of his car and the impact caused the car to spin and end up at the side of the road, a few feet from where the collision occurred, and facing the opposition direction.
He noted that three cars, five buses, two motorbikes, and some bicycles were damaged in the accident.
According to Gordon, as a result of the accident, both he and his spouse, Ruth Assanah, were injured. He sustained a concussion and bruises to his right shoulder while his wife sustained a puncture to her forehead and bruises about her body. They both were treated at the Woodlands Hospital in Georgetown and discharged.
The man explained that he is a construction worker and now that his car has been damaged, he has no means of transporting his tools to and from work. As the sole breadwinner of his home, he is hoping be compensated by Rock Hard Cement, the operators of the lorry involved in the accident.
A representative from Rock Hard Cement told Stabroek News yesterday that the driver is still in police custody and that the victims of the accident will be compensated. The director of the company will be reaching out to the insurance company that the lorry is insured under to check on its insurance coverage so the victims’ claims can be processed.
The representative explained that once that is done, their insurance company will take it from there as they may reach out to the individual victims regarding compensation. In addition, the company is awaiting the completion of the investigation by police so that the insurance com