By Sue-Ann Wayow
PRIME Minister Dr Keith Rowley has been involved in golf cart incident in Tobago in which a woman was injured.
The incident has been confirmed by the prime minister.
The Express and TV6 reported that the incident occurred last Friday outside the clubhouse at Magdalena Grand Golf Club in Lowlands.
The prime minister celebrated his 72nd birthday on island last Sunday.
The Express reported that the woman, a senior golf services coordinator said, “The prime minister was sitting in his cart behind another cart. So I took two bottles of Gatorade (energy drink) to give it to the prime minister and then on my way back he, the prime minister, put in the forward gear instead of the reverse gear. At the time I was crossing between the two carts, and the cart hit my leg and I fell flat on my chest and my tummy.”
She said, “The prime minister did not come out of his cart. Mr Vinod who is our general manager and the prime minister’s security guard are the ones that took me up from the ground and placed me on a chair.”
The woman who is fully vaccinated against Covid-19 went to the Scarborough General Hospital for medical treatment for her injured ankle.
On Tuesday she was notified by health officials that she was Covid positive.
Dr Rowley said there was an issue with a cart which he was sitting in could not start and the woman did indeed deliver the Gatorade.
“Having delivered the Gatorade the woman was making her way back between the two carts when the effort to get the correct key succeeded, but nobody knew that until the cart responded by moving because it’s electric. The woman was short-cutting between the carts when mine finally responded by moving forward. I immediately stopped it by braking but not before it came into contact with the woman crossing in front my cart,” he said.
Dr Rowley said, “Everybody was surprised. She fell, more like stumbled and fell. Everybody rushed to her. She got up and everybody enquired if she was okay. No cut, bruise or other harm other than the fall. I expressed my concern for her and apologised for the incident which also had the hotel manager assisting and apologising as she kept saying she was okay and was escorted away.”
The prime minister added, “So yes there was an incident by the entrance of the Clubhouse. Nobody was ‘run over’ by a travelling golf cart as is being represented. Many persons were there and all witnessed the stumble and fall and everyone was concerned and rushed to assist immediately.”
