Deadly Mahaica accident: DPP recommends death by dangerous driving charges for cop

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has recommended that the Police Corporal who was behind the wheel of a vehicle that was involved in a high-speed chase that led to the death of a young couple, be charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving. The lawman is expected to be arraigned before a Magistrate by the end of this week.

The horrific accident which involved a Police pick-up, two motor cars, and a truck, occurred on February 2 at Mahaica Public Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD). It claimed the lives of 21-year-old Christopher Bhagwandat of Mon Repos, ECD, and his 16-year-old girlfriend, Shereeda Persaud of Bath, West Coast Berbice (WCB).
Two children – aged two and eight – along with three Police Constables and a Police Corporal were also injured.
The DPP’s Office, on Monday, reported that it received a Police file on the accident on February 24. The file was returned on Monday with advice for the Police rank to be charged.
“Based on the statements in the Police file, legal advice has been given for the Police to institute the indictable charge for the offence of causing death by dangerous driving. The DPP has ordered that a Preliminary Inquiry (PI) be conducted since the charge is an indictable one,” the DPP’s office said.

The office has further instructed the Police to conduct further investigations and return the file for additional legal advice by March 7.
Bhagwandat was the driver of motor car PNN 8852 that the Police were chasing after he reportedly fled from traffic ranks, who were stationed at Perseverance Public Road, Mahaicony, ECD.
Regional Commander Khali Pareshram had told the media that the motor car driven by Bhagwandat had stopped at a roadblock but when ranks asked to see the driver’s identification card, he pulled the vehicle into the corner but then drove away as the traffic officer approached.
As such, ranks from the Mahaicony Police Station were alerted and officers joined the Force-issued van and gave chase. Then the accident occurred near the Mahaica Bridge. Guyana Times had previously reported that the Police vehicle collided with the car that was being driven by the now dead man. As a result, the car crashed into a canter which then flipped and slammed into another car.
Bhagwandat had travelled to West Berbice to pick up his girlfriend, to take her back to his house to celebrate his mother’s birthday.
Bhagwandat, who was a mechanic at Vicky’s Mechanic Shop at Mon Repos, had lost his father just four months prior and would have turned 22 on February 28. His girlfriend, who was a student of the Bush Lot Secondary School, was Home Affairs Minister during the 2021 Youth Parliament.
Both families had blamed the Police for the tragedy and had called for a thorough investigation. Police Commissioner Nigel Hoppie, in a statement, had expressed his “personal disappointment” at the circumstances of the “unfortunate event”. He had also assured the families of the deceased that an impartial investigation would be conducted into the events which led to the deadly accident.