With 11 deaths recorded within the last seven days, Road Safety Week 2019 has come to a tragic end and has proven to be one of the deadliest weeks for the year so far.
Last Sunday, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) launched Road Safety Week under the theme, “Accidents can be deadly; use the roads safely; drive defensively and stay alive.”
Every year, the Police’s Traffic Department and the National Road Safety Country (NRSC) would usually dedicate the last week in November as Road Safety Week where a number of campaigns are launched across the country to educate the public about the importance of using the road in a safe manner.
However, with the number of lives lost during the last week, it appears as if the efforts—being made annually by the police and members from the Road Safety Country to warn the public of the danger associated with using the roadways in a reckless manner—were in vain. Two children, six and 12, along with two policemen were among 11 people brutally killed on the roads.
Traffic Chief, Linden Isles has said that 90 percent of the fatal accidents were caused by drunk and speeding drivers. Isles also pleaded with drivers to use the roadways in a safe manner. He said, “Take your time on the road. Do not speed and risk your life and the lives of other pedestrians. Take your time.”
THE DEATH TOLL IS AS FOLLOWS
On November 24, Republic Bank employee, David Headly, 31, died in an accident when he reportedly overtook a vehicle on the East Coast Demerara (ECD)’s line top, in the vicinity of Felicity, and ended up crashing into a bridge.
Headly, the father of a four-month-old baby boy, died on the spot. He was said to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.
On November 25, a 29-year-old police officer, Carl Roach, lost his life around 01:00 hr when a female driver turned into one of the cross streets on Brickdam, Georgetown, hitting him off his motorcycle and flinging him into a light pole. He died on the spot. Roach and the driver were heading in the opposite direction.
Also on November 25, Raymond Cassal, 52, was killed in a hit and run accident on the Coffee Grove Public Road, Essequibo. His body was found around 03:10 hrs in the morning with multiple injuries. No one has been arrested.
On November 26, Kosmos owner, Dillion DeRamos, 37, and Senior Superintendent, Brian Eastman, lost their lives when DeRamos reportedly lost control of the Lexus he was driving and crashed into the fence of Yokohama Trading at Liliendaal, ECD. The two men, who are said to be friends since school days died at the scene of the accident.
On November 27, six-year-old Nifram Nezamodeen of Bush lot was killed and his mother, Ameena Diaram, and sibling, Asriya Nezamodeen, were injured when a car crashed into them as they stood on the Public Road near their village. The woman had just picked up her children from school when the accident happened.
November 30, Riley Charles Newton, 26, died when his vehicle ran off the Leonora, West Coast Demerara (WCD)’s Public Road and turned turtle. Newton, the father of a four-month-old baby was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.
The Republic Bank employee died on the spot.
Also on November 30, four persons died and several injured when a car allegedly crashed into a mini bus at Nismes, West Bank Demerara (WBD)’s Public Road just after 19:00 hrs.
The deceased were identified as Ayesha Sealey, 29; Maria Bisnauth, 12; Rawle Glenn, 52 and 22-year-old Zavira Jones.
Based on information received, the minibus was heading to Georgetown when a car, which was coming out of a gas station, drove into the path of the bus. Seventeen persons are hospitalized as a result of the accident.
