6 months after teen’s motorcycle crash, driver not charged; mother questions delay

Six months after a Corentyne teenager passed away as a result of a motor vehicular accident, his mother is questioning the apparent slothfulness in the justice process.

On October 27, 2024, 18-year-old Jainarine Rampersaud, of Ankerville, Port Mourant was riding a motorcycle with 15-year-old Stephon Verrapen as the pillion rider, when they were allegedly hit by a car, whose driver claimed that they hit the back of his car and rode away.
The driver had claimed too that he chased them into the village and eventually caught up with the motorcycle.
Back in October, residents of Hampshire Village, claimed that they heard the impact and when they came out, they saw the motorcycle lying on the parapet and the two teenagers lying unconscious a short distance away.
At the scene of the incident, villagers said that they were told by the driver of the car, who had armed himself with a cutlass, that he was driving along the Corentyne Highway when the motorcycle rode up from behind and hit his car, damaging the rear lights in the process.

Following the crash, the two teenagers were taken to the Port Morant Hospital and subsequently transferred to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital.
However, Rampersaud was transferred to the Georgetown Post Public Hospital (GPHC) where some 12 days later, he succumbed to his injuries.
Police had initially arrested the driver of the car and subsequently released him on station bail. However, following the demise of Rampersaud, he was re-arrested, but was released after 72 hours.
The deceased teenager’s mother, 47-year-old Danmatie Rampersaud, says she still suffers from sleepless nights, noting that the information being provided to her differs from what she has been receiving from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
“I end up calling the traffic police that in-charge of the story, and he tell me that the paper gone to the DPP and never come back. I went plenty times to the DPP; I went in January, I went February and I went in March and nothing is there for my son till now. I don’t know what is going on with my son’s story. Everybody that dead after my son, all the papers come back with the DPP advice, and nothing for my son. I what to know what is happening, I went four times already to the DPP, and nothing is there for him,” she said.
Rampersaud also expressed concern over a police release which indicated that a breathalyser test was conducted on the driver of the car and no alcohol was found.
On the night of October 27, the driver was video recorded at the scene and in that recording he claimed that he had been imbibing and had consumed two beers.
“I want to know why the police can’t charge him?” she questioned.
The Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) Regional Commander, Shivpersaud Bacchus, has stated that the matter is still an active investigation.