GEORGETOWN – The deadly crash along the Number 62 Public Road, Corentyne, has now claimed a second life, with police confirming that 31-year-old driver and teacher Jerome Bernard succumbed to his injuries late this afternoon at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.
Bernard died around 17:30 hrs, becoming the latest casualty in what has become one of Berbice’s most devastating road accidents for the year.
His death follows that of 16-year-old Jodea Seline of Limlair Village, who was pronounced dead shortly after the accident on Friday evening at the Number 75 Regional Hospital. Both bodies are now awaiting post-mortem examinations.
According to investigators, Bernard had been driving minibus BAB 7570 northbound with several teachers and students on board when he reportedly lost control. The vehicle toppled onto its right side, mangling the frame and injuring all 17 passengers.
Public-spirited residents rushed to pull victims from the wreckage before emergency teams arrived. Three passengers; including a 13-year-old girl from Brighton Village, a 16-year-old girl from Cromarty, and Bernard before he passed, were transferred to GPHC in critical condition.
The other fourteen passengers remain admitted at the Number 75 Regional Hospital, where they are under observation and listed in stable condition.
Police say the investigation is active as they work to determine what caused Bernard to lose control in a crash that has left families grieving and an entire region shaken.
