Pensioner dies after being run over by minibus at Leonora

A 74-year-old man has become the country’s latest road fatality after he was killed in a freak accident along the Leonora Public Road, West Coast Demerara (WCD), on Monday evening
Dead is Ograsane Samaroo of Stewartville, WCD. His death has now taken the toll of fatalities to 94 for the year thus far.
According to reports received, the accident occurred at about 19:15h and involved minibus BXX 6727, at the time being driven by a 54-year-old man, and motorcar PSS 1233, which was about to be boarded by the now dead man.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the minibus was travelling east along the northern side of the road when the driver noticed a stationary black motorcar (PSS 1233) on the northern footpath, facing east, with the driver’s side door open.
The minibus driver told Police that the now-deceased 74-year-old was attempting to enter the driver’s seat of the car when he fell on the roadway and was run over by the left-side front wheel of the minibus, thereby sustaining injuries.
He was picked up by Police and transported in an unconscious state to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. A breathalyzer test conducted on the driver of the minibus detected no trace of alcohol in his system. Investigations are continuing.
It was only last Friday that Traffic Chief, Superintendent Dennis Stephen, told Guyana Times that 93 deaths have resulted from 80 road accidents for the year so far. Twenty-nine of those who have so died had been motorcyclists, while 8 had been pillion riders. In addition, 191 serious accidents were recorded, with 100 motorcyclists receiving serious injuries.
“Traditionally, pedestrians would’ve been the most vulnerable road users who would’ve lost their lives. But, for this year, we have a new phenomenon, where we’ve observed motorcyclists, including pillion riders, being a [significant] part of that number of persons who lost their lives,” Stephen explained.
There were 62 road fatalities recorded for last year, of which 25 were pedestrians, 13 were motorcyclists, and two were pillion riders. This year, 24 pedestrians have died in road accidents.
Further, the Traffic Chief reported that speeding is the leading cause of fatal accidents this year.