Essequibo Coast man slapped with 2 counts of vehicular manslaughter

Under the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2022, 21-year-old Derindra Sitaram of Devonshire Castle, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) was on Friday charged with vehicular manslaughter for causing the deaths of Mohan Maniram and 23-year-old Zamaan Rafeek along the Devonshire Castle Public Road.
At the time of the accident, Sitaram was driving a motor car bearing registration number PAD 831 along the Devonshire Castle Public Road, Essequibo Coast, at a fast rate of speed and collided with Maniram and Rafeek, who were proceeding in the same direction on their pedal cycles.
As a result of the collision, both men ended up in a nearby trench. It was reported that due to the impact, Maniram’s head was detached from his body. After crashing his car, the suspect fled the scene without rendering assistance to the two injured men.
The lifeless body of Maniram was subsequently pulled from the trench and taken to the Suddie Public Hospital Mortuary. Rafeek later succumbed to his injuries. Sitaram was arrested.
At the Suddie Magistrate’s Court on Friday, Sitaram was not required to plead to the charges of manslaughter, failing to render assistance, and driving under the influence of alcohol. The accident occurred on January 31 last.
However, Magistrate Esther Sam granted bail in the sum of $2 million to Sitaram and adjourned the matter to February 28, 2023.
Back in November 2022, the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2022, which is aimed at toughening existing laws to prevent drunk driving and the carnage on the road it results in was passed in the National Assembly in the absence of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC).
Guyana Times had reported that in a bid to ensure safer roadways, draft amendments to the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act, as well as the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing (Amendment) Bill were approved by the Cabinet in March of 2022, with a view to toughening up the penalties for drunk drivers – and the bars that serve them.
The Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act sought to amend the Principal Act and put in place a new Section, 35A. This new Section makes causing the death of someone through drunk driving a case of vehicular manslaughter.
The draft Bill also amends Section 39A of the Principal Act – the penalty for driving while over the alcohol limit – replacing the $7500 fine with $200,000, and the sentence of 12 months with 24 months.
It has also been proposed back in March 2022, that the penalty for driving under the influence and losing control of your vehicle be increased from its current $30,000 to $60,000 fine/imprisonment for 12 months to $200,000 for first-time offenders and $300,000 for second-time offenders.