Unrepresented by legal counsel, 24-year-old Zamani Archibald of Region Six (East Berbice/Ctyne), a driver attached to the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), stood arraigned before Georgetown Magistrate Judy Latchman on Thursday morning, charged with the offence of causing death by dangerous driving.
Deceased: Harry Persaud, aka “Saw Doctor”
The charge he faces detailed that, on March 11, 2017, he drove motor pickup DFB 1566 in a manner dangerous to the public, thereby causing the death of 65-year-old pensioner Harry Persaud of Lot 7 Public Road, Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara on that community’s highway.
Archibald pleaded not guilty to the allegation, and after the prosecutor had proffered no objection, bail was set at the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000), and Archibald was ordered to return to court on August 30, 2017.
On the fateful day of the accident, Persaud, also called “Saw Doctor”, was giving his granddaughter a ride on his pedal cycle en route to the Rubis Service Station when a vehicle belonging to the GDF struck them off the cycle. Persaud reportedly sustained injuries to his head and other parts of the body, while the infant suffered a fractured shoulder and lacerations to her hand and head.
Harry Persaud’s injured granddaughter
According to reports, they both were rushed to the Diamond Regional Hospital by the same vehicle, and while Persaud was pronounced dead on arrival, his injured granddaughter was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) in a critical condition and admitted a patient there.
The dead man leaves to mourn his wife, five children and relatives.
