Cyclist killed after colliding with container truck at Rahaman’s Park

A pedal cyclist met his demise on the Houston Public Road on Wednesday when he collided with a container truck, registration number GWW 7629, just outside Parc Rayne in Rahaman’s Park, Greater Georgetown.
He was identified as Seeram Seecharran of Lot 16 Herstelling, East Bank Demerara (EBD). Guyana Times understands that at the time of the accident, it was raining. However, the now dead man reportedly darted across the road ahead of oncoming traffic.
Reports stated that the container truck collided with him before swerving and coming to a halt after ploughing into the fence, which was meant to shield the 70-foot artificial tree that is being erected for the Annual Rahaman’s Park Christmas tree light-up set for Friday.
Host of the yearly event, Ray Rahaman was present at the scene and indicated that he was not discouraged even though the area has seen multiple accidents. He also related his account of what transpired.
“The cyclist went across the road, the truck was coming in the rain, he pulled brakes, he couldn’t be going fast, because there was a lot of traffic, so it is not the fault of the truck; it is the fault of the cyclist,” the businessman surmised.
The fence collapsed as the tree shifted; several parts of the bicycle were seen smashed and strewn along the road. This is the second year in a row that the famous Christmas tree was shifted from its position owing to an accident. The truck driver reportedly received injuries to his hands. Police are continuing their investigation into the incident.
Rahaman further noted that it was fortunate that the tree did not fall as it did last year. He once again praised the business community for assisting to ensure that everything was in place for the tree light-up.
“These things happen and are unfortunate for the nation … But the fortunate part is that it (tree) is not on the ground, this year it didn’t fall, so the Lord is testing us but he still helping us. So, we will lift it with a crane now … the entire tree from the top, put it on the road here, build over the stand, put it back by this afternoon (Wednesday), and then we are in business again,” Rahaman told this newspaper as workmen worked feverishly to repair the damaged section.
An official Police account of what transpired disclosed that the lorry was proceeding in the same direction as the pedal cyclist, but on the “eastern side of the western carriageway” in the vicinity of Rahamans Park. The cyclist then “proceeded to cross the road from the eastern side to the western side and in the process of doing so, he ended up into the path of the motor lorry”.
Police confirmed that the driver of the motor lorry swerved to avoid a collision, but “the right side front of the lorry came into contact with the pedal cycle, the cyclist was thrown off the pedal cycle and landed on the road surface, where he received injuries about his body.”
It was explained that Seecharran was picked up in an unconscious state by Police and public-spirited citizens and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was examined by a doctor on duty, who pronounced him dead on arrival.
His body is currently lying in the Hospital’s Mortuary awaiting a post-mortem. Police said that a breathalyser test was conducted on the truck driver which revealed a reading of 0.000 per cent.
After the tree fell and got damaged last December, two men were found afterwards with the tree snaps. Later that month, a truck driver avoiding a collision crashed into a nearby utility pole. The businessman’s wife, Angela Rahaman later called for caution on the roadways.