The death toll of the horrific early Monday evening accident on Homestretch Avenue rose from four to five by Tuesday morning, but the other patients who were listed as critical are now stable and are presently hospitalised at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
GPH officials said fifteen persons were rushed to the hospital to receive medical attention following the accident. Dead are Coretta Benjamin, 39, headmistress of JE Burnham Nursery School, her daughter Crazel Paul, 8, Erica La Cruz, Peter Mc Clennon 29, and Junior Duncan. They are all from B Field, Sophia.
All of the deceased succumbed while receiving medical attention at the Accident and Emergency Unit of the hospital. GPH officials said that Benjamin and her daughter, McClennon and Duncan all suffered injuries to the head. La Cruz suffered internal injuries, and never regained consciousness after being admitted.
Among the injured passengers is 11- year- old Seon Archibald. He sustained a fractured skull and head injuries and was admitted to the Paediatric Ward. His sister Jamaicie Archibald, 16, suffered poly trauma and was admitted to the Female Surgical Ward, but was subsequently discharged; while their baby sister Tatiana Smith, 3, suffered head injuries and was later admitted to the Paediatric Ward.
Dead: Erica La Cruz, 18, of South Sophia
Keisha Thornton, 22, of B’ Field, Sophia sustained head injuries, and is currently admitted to the Female Surgical Ward.
22- year- old Collin Jeune of A’ Field, Sophia suffered abrasions about the body and injury to his right hand, and is admitted to the Male Surgical Ward Ronisha Moore of B Field, Sophia sustained head injuries and is admitted to the Paediatric Ward, while her cousin, Delicia Paul, suffered abrasions about the body and was admitted to the Female Surgical Ward.
Royston Garraway, 30, of 405 South Sophia, who sustained injuries to the right foot, and a 79-year-old female of Agricola who sustained trauma to the body were both treated and sent home.
Two other children, Michael and Anthony Latchmin, who are the nephews of Peter Mc Clennon, were rushed to the Woodlands Hospital, where they were immediately admitted. Their condition is said to be stable as well. Relatives of Mc Clennon said on Tuesday that a bad omen hovered over the family leading up to the tragic incident.
Dead: Peter Mc Clennon, 29
His father Godfrey McClennon said he last saw his son one hour before the accident occurred. “We heard that he get in an accident.” The elder Mc Clennon said he and his son were close and they had spoken for more than three hours while he was waiting for his aunt, Lynette Johnson, to finish cooking.
“This fast driving keeps happening, and when you talk they say you are old fashioned.” Johnson, who is on vacation from London, said that when she saw her nephew on Monday, he appeared happy.
Erica La Cruz, an aspiring model who is originally from the Pomeroon but grew up in Sophia, was on the way to purchase medication for her sick aunt when the accident occurred.
Her family was unaware of her whereabouts until news of the incident circulated.
Her grandmother, Stanislaus Da Silva, said that she brought up Erica from a baby after he mother abandoned her. The last time they spoke was right before she left for the pharmacy.
An Uncle, Nazim Mohamed, was inconsolable when Guyana Times International visited the home.
Crazel Paul, 8, daughter of Coretta Benjamin
Roger Moore, the brother of Coretta Benjamin and father of Ronisha Moore, said he flew into Guyana only this morning after learning of the accident. He related that his daughter’s condition has been improving.
“Persons who have been in accidents before should be taken off the road. There must be a special commercial licence for persons who are entrusted with the lives of others,” he said.
He added that the police patrols are not able to patrol vulnerable areas because of lack of resources in the police force. Granger said it is a matter of proper law enforcement, and not an issue of drivers being allowed to successfully regulate themselves.
