Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill was on-site at the Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge (BJDRB) on Thursday to review the circumstances surrounding a fatal accident that claimed one life.
The minister expressed his condolences to the family of the man who tragically lost his life, assuring them and those who have been injured that a full investigation is underway.
The accident occurred during the morning hours when a truck, reportedly experiencing a sudden loss of power and brakes while crossing the bridge, began rolling backwards uncontrollably into vehicles behind.
The truck involved was moved to the shoulders of the roadway on the western end of the bridge.
Minister Edghill dispatched a team of three engineers and a senior mechanic to inspect the truck and determine the cause of the accident.
“They will write a report that will be signed, and it will become official evidence, but it is clear that the truck was defective,” the minister stated.
He further revealed that the truck driver was unlicensed, noting that the extent of the damage to the river crossing will be assessed by the management.
In addition to the criminal and court proceedings to be initiated by the police, the owner and operator of the truck will be held responsible for covering the cost of the damages.
Minister Edghill noted that “damage to public property will not go unnoticed, we’ve been saying that if you damage public property, you have to pay.”
The minister stressed that the bridge itself was not at fault, emphasising that even the truck’s owner admitted the vehicle had a mechanical defect.
“It was no fault in the bridge, they have said to me the same truck fetch rice, fetch in [equipment] for GPL and fetch everything over the bridge, and they never [had a] problem [with the bridge]”, he stated.
The minister urged drivers to exercise extreme caution when operating their vehicles and to ensure they are properly licensed. He added that the investigation into the incident remains ongoing.