Minibus driver left scene as uninjured ‘passenger’

Nismes fatal accident

…as Police kept hospitalised victim as driver

The man, who was believed to be the driver of minibus BYY 2981 that was involved in a two-vehicular smash-up that left four persons dead and 16 injured on Saturday last, at Nismes, West Bank Demerara (WBD), turned out not to be the driver after all. Rather the actual driver left the scene as an uninjured ‘passenger’.
This is according to Police Commander of Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Assistant Police Commissioner Simon McBean, who told Guyana Times on Saturday that investigators were given detailed descriptions by eyewitnesses and injured passengers of the driver. However, the description did not match the hospitalised injured man – who was initially believed to be the driver of the minibus.

As such, the police began a hunt for the driver, and shortly after the search began, the man turned up at a police station in the company of his attorney. According to Police, he admitted to having been the driver of the minibus when the accident occurred. He was subsequently released on station bail.
However, Commander McBean noted that the man is in hot water since he will face several charges for a number of offences related to the tragic accident that occurred on November 30.

He is expected to be charged with causing death by dangerous driving, failure to report an accident, visiting the police way beyond the “reporting period”, and additionally, it was discovered that the suspect was not insured to drive the minibus.
The Commander noted that the matter has been handed over to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.
Of the 21 persons involved in this fatal accident, 12 were admitted at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and four were at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) for days receiving necessary medical attention.
When the tragedy took place, 52-year-old Rawle Williams of Canal Number One, West Bank Demerara (WBD), who is the driver of the car that was involved in the accident, lost his life.
The three others who died are females including a child.
Dead are 29-year-old Ayesha Sealey of Patentia Housing Scheme, WBD, 22-year-old Zavira Jona of Patentia, WBD, and 12-year-old Maria Bisnauth, who hailed from lot 125 Sideline Dam, Sister’s Village, WBD.
The accident occurred at about 19:20h at Nismes Public Road, WBD, when the minibus was proceeding North along the Western carriageway of the road, reportedly at a fast rate of speed.
Reports are that while in the vicinity of a gas station which is located on the Western side of that roadway, the driver of motorcar PTT 691 drove out from the fuel station in a South-Eastern direction into the path of the minibus.
According to the police, this resulted in the right front portion of the minibus colliding with the right side front door of the motorcar and this caused both vehicles to spin off the road and end up on the grass parapet and the trench respectively.
At the time of the accident, the minibus had been overloaded with passengers.