Last Updated on Friday, 7 July 2017, 16:49 by Written By Denis Chabrol
Four Haitian children and one young adult were injured early Friday morning when the hire car they were travelling in toppled several times after hitting a donkey on the Number 53 Village Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice.
The driver, who is a member of the Guyana Fire Service, has been detained, and tests so far show that he was not under the influence of alcohol.
The Guyana Police Force said the Haitians, ranging from five years to 19 years old, arrived in Guyana Thursday legally and were heading to Springlands, Corentyne when the accident occurred at about 5:15 AM. In recent months, Haitians have been arriving here to travel to French Guiana via Suriname.
“Enquiries disclosed from the driver of HC 5547 that he was proceeding north along the western carriageway of the road en-route to Springlands with five Haitian Nationals, all of whom arrived legally yesterday; when suddenly a donkey ran across from west to east into his path, which caused him to veer east and in that process, the vehicle toppled several times. As a result everyone received injuries,” police said in a statement.
Those injured are Dia Doxine, 19, Dossier Farantazcia, 15, Dossier James, 15, Ony Jean Pierre ,15, and five year old Helas Naima.
Police said they were rushed to the Skeldon Public Hospital where the driver and Dossier Farantazcia were treated and sent away.
The others were transferred to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital and admitted in a stable condition except for Dia Doxine who was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation in an unconscious state.
The driver, 34, a member of the Guyana Fire Service and of # 53 Village, Corentyne, has been taken into custody and is assisting with the investigation. He was given a breathalyzer test and no blood alcohol was detected, police said.
The fireman was due to resume duty shortly after being on 28 days leave. He is related to a high-ranking police officer stationed in Berbice.
