A prison officer and a police officer were rushed to hospital yesterday after two prison buses collided with a Mack truck on Eastern Road.
The buses were carrying inmates to downtown courts around 9:45am when the accident occurred at the entrance of Mount Vernon.
“The extent of their injuries are not known at this time,” said Inspector David Lockhart of the traffic division, while on scene.
“All of the inmates are accounted for and we can ensure the public that none of the prisoners at any time escaped, nor was any member of the public in jeopardy as a result of this collision.”
Both buses were extensively damaged, police said.
Lockhart said the prisoners were relocated into three private buses and escorted by police to courts.
He did not confirm the total number of inmates being escorted nor did he provide details on the matters the inmates were connected with.
“We would like to generally say to members of the public, please drive safely and upon hearing a siren one must pull to the left to give way,” he said.
Lockhart said police have not determined who was at fault.
He said the driver of the truck was being questioned. Lockhart assured that all standard police protocols were followed.
“We also have one or two witnesses that are assisting in this investigation,” Lockhart said.
Last February, the police transport bus crashed into the prison bus when its brakes failed.
Two prisoners and one guard were taken to hospital with minor injuries.
