Cyclist warded after intersection crash

In an accident in which two men claimed they had the right of way, a motorcyclist was left seriously injured yesterday and his motorcycle broken into fragments. 

The crash happened at the intersection at Chancery Lane, just outside the San Fernando General Hospital, shortly after 10 am, attracting scores of onlookers and creating a traffic pile-up along Independence Avenue.

Police said Jerrod Phillip was riding his Yamaha motorcycle onto Chancery Lane when he was struck by an old model Mitsubishi two-door pick-up driven by Carapichaima pensioner Tony Boodansingh who was entering the hospital from Harris Promenade.

Phillip, who was struck from the side, was thrown into the windscreen of the van before landing and sliding into the pavement. His helmet was also damaged and blood was seen in the slipway when passerby and hospital workers rushed to assist him.

He was taken to the Accident and Emergency Department by a South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) ambulance and remained warded up to late yesterday.

Boodansingh’s pick-up stopped when it crashed into a light pole and rail outside the San Fernando Teaching Hospital, leaking engine oil onto the pavement. 

Boodansingh, who walked with a cane, was with his wife, Parbatie. They were taken to hospital where they were treated for minor injuries and kept for observation.

Officers from the nearby San Fernando Police Station were on the scene quickly as pieces of Phillip’s motorcycle were scattered on the intersection. 

Eyewitnesses said one of the men broke the traffic light, resulting in the accident. However, police said both men claimed  their lights were on green.