Police car plunges into river

TWO policemen narrowly escaped death when their patrol car plunged into a river, leaving them trapped in the submerged vehicle on Sunday evening. Constables Balliram and Sookdeo were rescued by passersby who saw the  lights of the police car, which by that time had already almost sunk to the bottom of the river.

The harrowing incident occurred around 6.30 pm, while the officers were on mobile patrol along Murray Trace, Woodland. According to reports, on reaching a bridge, the officer driving the patrol car was blinded by the high-beam lights of an oncoming vehicle and swerved to avoid a collision, crashed into the bridge and plunged into the river below. Eyewitnesses said the patrol car was almost completely submerged and the two cops, one of whom was knocked unconscious, remained trapped in the vehicle for more than 15 minutes. Car salesman Keith Jobity was one of four persons who stopped and launched a rescue effort, to pull the lawmen from the murky waters. Jobity, who waded into the river, said the front door was completely submerged, so he and the others opened the back door to get to the unconscious officer. A senior police source told Newsday, that the other officer used his service firearm to shoot open one of the windows of the car to escape. Another passerby contacted the Emergency Health Services and the Siparia Police Station. PC Balliram was still unconscious while being taken to San Fernando General Hospital via ambulance while PC Sookdeo was treated at the scene. Sources said PC Balliram was kept overnight at hospital since he had water in his lungs. He was discharged yesterday and investigations are continuing.