A 22-year-old student of the University of Guyana died Tuesday night following a horrific accident on Brickdam, Georgetown. Dead is Lindsford Gavin Deally of Lot 471 Nonpareil, East Coast Demerara.
Deally met his demise at approximately 21: 30h when the Sophia bus he was conducting collided with a car in the vicinity of Louisa Row and Brickdam.
While at the Georgetown Public Hospital, one of the survivors, Sheldon McKenzie, told media operatives that he had warned the driver to slow down, less than five minutes before the collision occurred.
He explained that passengers had rushed to the bus upon its arrival on the Sophia Bus Park, and the conductor was reportedly shouting “four a seat, four a seat”. With approximately 19 persons crammed in the vehicle, including the driver, the bus began its journey, with Deally’s head and a shoulder protruding out of the bus.
“So when the bus take off and entering Brickdam, it was going with a speed and music was really loud, so I was, like ‘Conductor the bus overload, ya’ll deh pun ya’ll itation’, so about five minutes after somebody in front said ‘watch out’,” McKenzie recalled.
The car, with which the bus collided, was proceeding north on Louisa Row.
McKenzie said the minibus subsequently toppled four times before coming to a halt. “It landed on the conductor’s side; actually the bus was on the conductor.”
Using the window, McKenzie was the first of the passengers to exit the bus. According to reports, many of the passengers suffered minor injuries to their heads and legs.
Distraught over the situation, Deally’s father, Allan said he rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital after getting the news. According to him, his son had been a part-time conductor for approximately eight months as he pursued his studies in economics at UG.
Deally would have celebrated his 23rd birthday on December 17. He is the eldest of seven children.
