Three persons are now dead and 16 others hospitalised following a head-on collision between a minibus and
The damaged car
car at Richmond Public Road, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam). Dead are Esan Cornette, 19, of Darthmouth Public Road; Gavin Lawrie, 19, of Better Hope and Levon Grey, 45, also of Darthmouth Village on the Essequibo Coast.
Those injured are Maxton Lawrie, Anil Marks, Alvin Stephen, Ruel Lawrie, Glenford Stephen, Stephen Benn, Kevon Clay, Navin Radesh, Trevon John, Delroy Barranton, Lancel Seizer, Rovon Johnson, Ansel Cornette, Cadine Clay, Kevin Brummel and Alred Shepherd. These persons are nursing injuries to their heads, abdomen and faces. Four of those injured were medevaced to the Georgetown Public Hospital at about 05:00h on Saturday by Roraima Airways Medivac Trislander.
Reports are that at about 23:00h on Friday minibus BRR 3943 was heading south along the Richmond Public Road when it collided with a 212 blue car, PMM 5867 which was heading north. At the time of the accident, the minibus had 16 passengers and was driven by Glenford Stephen, while the car was driven by the deceased Gavin Lawrie, and had four passengers.
Police sources confirmed that from reports received so far the accident was as a result of speeding.
Disbelief
When this newspaper visited the family of Esan Cornette they were still in shock. Cornette’s cousin Safo Cornette told this publication that the teenager had left his Darthmouth home around 21:00 hours to go to Anna Regina to meet a family. The cousin said at about 02:00h he received a call stating that his cousin had met in an accident and had died.
Alexander was a student at Essequibo Technical Institute and was pursuing his dreams in the field of General Electricity. He was the second child of four children for his parents.
At Grey’s home, relatives related that he was accompanying the driver of the minibus, Glenford Stephen to Anna Regina at the time of his death.
Meanwhile at Lawrie’s residence neighbours and relatives gathered consoling his mother.
The dead teen’s sister Renisa Lawrie said her teen brother had left home with his brother, Ruel Lawrie (owner of the car) to take home a worker who lives at Queenstown Village. According her the occupants of the car were all relatives. She added that the family received the tragic news at about midnight.
The grieving sister revealed that the relatives journeyed to the hospital and described the scene as “horrific”. This is the fifth fatal accident on the Essequibo Coast for this year which has claimed the lives of seven persons. Police are continuing their investigations.
