Trial of driver accused of dumping accident victim overboard continuing

A date in October has been fixed for the continuation of the trial of Daniel Melbourne, the driver who is charged with causing death by dangerous driving over the passing of Reonol Williams, a pedestrian he allegedly struck down on May 23, 2022 and then dumped overboard.
This 53-year-old resident of Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara is currently out on $1.8M bail for the following offences: causing death by dangerous driving; failure to report an accident; failure to render assistance; failure to produce his vehicle for examination; giving false information to the Police; and attempting to obstruct the course of justice. These matters are continuing at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court.
Reonol Williams, a 50-year-old father of two and labourer of Enmore, ECD, went missing on May 23, 2022 after he was struck down on the Enmore Public Road allegedly by Melbourne, who was driving a red Toyota Fielder wagon, PAB 2552. Following the accident, Melbourne had reportedly picked up the injured Williams to take him to the hospital, but this was never done. Instead, Williams disappeared without a trace.

Williams’s family had reported his disappearance to the Police and an investigation had been launched. The owner of the car was arrested but, during interrogation, claimed he was in the interior and that one of his nephews had taken the car without his knowledge. As such, he was released on station bail.
However, after almost two weeks had passed without any sign of Williams, his family requested an audience with Police Commissioner (ag) Clifton Hicken. After that meeting, the Major Crimes Investigation Unit of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) was instructed to take up the case. As a result, Melbourne was rearrested, and during interrogation, he took detectives to the location along the Coldingen Access Road, ECD where Williams’s decomposed body was discovered.
Williams’s sister had identified the body as that of her brother’s based on the clothes on the remains found. She told detectives that her brother was wearing the same clothes when he went missing.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum disclosed that Melbourne confessed that he was the driver of the motor car at the time of the accident.
He reportedly admitted that after he had struck down Williams, he placed him in his vehicle, and as he was driving, he observed that Williams was motionless. Out of fear, he stopped the car at a bridge in Coldingen, ECD, and disposed of the body in the trench.
He reportedly told detectives that after disposing of the body, he went home and informed his mother that his vehicle was missing, and that he had made a report to the Police. Further, he allegedly admitted that the initial information he provided to the Police about him being in the interior was false.
After Williams was struck down, a friend of his who had witnessed the accident had gone to Williams’s home to inform them that he was taken to the hospital. But after checking several hospitals – both public and private – Williams was not found. (G1)