If you’ve ever survived an accident, you’d know that pain is not the only thing you’ll have to endure during recovery. There is also the trauma to overcome after the dust has settled. For young Journalist Shemar Alleyne, the reality of making the news as an accident survivor never crossed his mind.
Alleyne is one of several people who survived that horrific accident which occurred on March 6, 2023, along Greenwich Park on the East Bank of Essequibo (EBE). Alleyne, a Senior Journalist at HGP Nightly News Ch 67, is at home recovering after undergoing two surgeries. Five persons, including the driver whom he knew, died in that accident.
Speaking to the Guyana Standard, Alleyne recalled that on the day of the accident, everything happened quickly. He recounted that he was on his way to Parika to find Indian attire that he would wear to work the next day that was slated for the observance of Phagwah.
His trip to Parika was not planned however, especially since he intended to purchase the attire at Tuchen, East Bank Essequibo.
“When I got to the store they told me they didn’t have the outfit in my size and they suggested I go to the branch in Parika. I really wanted the outfit so I traveled to Parika. I knew the driver because my mother and I would often travel with him for our daily commute,” Alleyne said.
He recounted however that it was not the minibus driver who was speeding. “Everything happened so quickly. I had my head in my phone and as I raised my head I saw a speeding truck coming toward us. The driver tried to swerve away but the distance was too short. All I remember was us colliding with the truck and I blacked out.”
Shemar was rushed to the hospital in an unconscious state. He noted that when he regained consciousness, he was not only met with pain, but the sight of weeping relatives for other families.
“I was in terrible pain. Anyone who knows me knows I don’t even like the simplest cut. But when I woke up I saw families crying and people dead. It was a really scary experience and I’m just thankful to be alive.”
Upon reflection of what he has survived, Alleyne said he hopes drivers take more caution and responsibility on the roadways. He opined that had the truck driver been driving at a regular rate of speed, not only the accident could have been avoided, but also the lives of five persons could have been saved.
“I don’t think people understand that when you do nonsense on the road, you don’t only put yourself at risk, but you risk the lives of other people. You disrupt their lives and their livelihood. In other worst cases, you take away family, friends, mothers and fathers. There must be some responsibility taken for this and it starts with not speeding,” Alleyne said.
He expressed hope that more stringent efforts are made to stop road carnage, especially since in the last week or so, several persons have lost their lives due to reckless driving.
The young journalist’s call for road safety is further supported when one considers that road fatalities for 2023 are more than 30.
The Guyana Police Force Traffic Department has said it is not sitting on its hands but rather, initiated several initiatives in the past few months to stop speeding and drunk driving.
There were also several legislative changes, which now obligate bar owners to report persons who consume too much alcohol and proceed to drive.
Industry stakeholders are hopeful that these measures, among others, will stimulate a behaviour change sooner rather than later.
