Mahaica double-fatality crash: Cop charged, released on $1.5M bail

A Police Corporal who reportedly crashed the Force’s vehicle into a car during a high-speed chase that led to the death of a young couple has been formally charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

Corporal Lawrence Carmichael, 27, appeared before Vigilance Magistrate Fabayo Azore on Thursday and was granted $1.5M bail. He was not required to plead to the indictable charges, which stated that on February 2, he drove motor vehicle PAB 3143 in a manner dangerous to the public, thereby causing the death of Christopher Bhagwandat, 21, and his 16-year-old girlfriend Sheereda Persaud, a grade 11 student at Bush Lot Secondary School.
Corporal Lawrence was represented by Attorney-at-Law Dexter Todd, who told reporters that his client should not have been charged criminally. Instead, Todd reasoned, a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) should have been held into the fatal accident.

The lawyer said a Policeman pursuing a suspect is permissible under the law, and given what transpired on the fatal day, lawmakers need to review the protocols governing the Police’s pursuit of a suspect.
Outside the courthouse, family members of the two deceased protested, calling for the Police rank to be charged with the capital offence of murder.

Horrific crash
The horrific accident, which involved a Police pickup, two motor cars, and a truck, occurred on February 2 at Mahaica Public Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

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 motorcar driven by Bhagwandat had stopped at a roadblock, and 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. 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 truck, which then flipped and slammed into another car.
On the day in question, Bhagwandat, a mechanic who lived at Mon Repos, ECD, had travelled to West Coast Berbice (WCB) to pick up his girlfriend, to take her back to his house to celebrate his mother’s birthday. His father died four months prior, and he would have celebrated his 22nd birthday on February 28.
His girlfriend, who lived at Bath, WCB, had assumed the role of 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”, and had assured the families that an impartial and thorough probe would be conducted into the events which led to the deadly accident.
Following investigations, Police had forwarded a file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice. And then on Monday, the DPP gave the following advice: “Based on the statements contained 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 has further instructed the Police to conduct further investigations and return the file for additional legal advice by next week Monday. (G1)