Guyana is reeling from a series of road fatalities that have occurred within a week. In just the span of one week, four lives have been cut short, leaving families and communities in mourning. What’s more alarming is the disturbing trend of drivers fleeing the scene of these accidents, an act that deepens the trauma for victims’ families and shames our society.
The death of Adree Slowe, a 62-year-old resident of Vigilance South, East Coast Demerara, is among this series of fatalities. Slowe was struck down by a minibus on Friday night, near the Church of God Road in Buxton. In a twist of fate, the driver sped off into the night, leaving Slowe to die on the roadside. This act is not an isolated incident, but part of a growing pattern of drivers abandoning their victims, refusing to face the consequences of their reckless actions.
Another devastating accident occurred early Saturday morning at Cottage, Mahaicony. Collin Dowden, a 28-year-old resident of Belle Vue, West Coast Berbice, lost his life in a horrific crash, leaving three others injured. This tragedy, which unfolded in the early hours of the morning, is yet another reminder of the dangerous recklessness that is plaguing the roadways. Dowden, along with other passengers, was being transported in a motor car driven by a 23-year-old from Seafield, West Coast Berbice. Again, it seems speed and poor judgment played fatal roles.
On the same day, another accident took place on the Versailles Public Road, West Bank Demerara, claiming the life of 27-year-old Regan David Martin. In this instance, the driver of the speeding vehicle also fled the scene, abandoning Martin to his fate. Similarly, an unidentified woman was struck and killed by a sand truck on the Lusignan Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara. The driver of the truck was identified, but the initial aftermath of the accident suggests the chaotic and dangerous state of the roadways.
These four deaths in one week serve as tragic indicators of a broader systemic issue. The roads are becoming increasingly perilous, not only because of reckless driving but also because of the alarming lack of accountability. Drivers are escaping, leaving families to grapple not only with grief but with the frustration of seeking justice that often seems slow to respond.
What’s even more appalling is the ease with which some drivers flee the scene of accidents. The fear of consequences seems to outweigh any sense of moral responsibility, and this is a dangerous precedent. Hit-and-run cases are becoming all too common, and they reflect a society in which drivers no longer respect the value of human life. It is no longer enough to call these accidents—they are preventable, and the deaths are avoidable if only more care, responsibility, and enforcement are applied to our roads.
While the circumstances of each accident vary, one factor remains constant: speed and negligence are claiming lives. How many more families will have to bury their loved ones before there is meaningful change? The authorities must step up enforcement of traffic laws, implement the more stringent penalties for reckless driving that has already been amended and passed in the National Assembly, and launch comprehensive public awareness campaigns that promote safe driving.
Moreover, the time has come to implement harsher punishments for those who commit hit-and-runs, including revoking licences and imposing stricter prison sentences.
For the families of Adree Slowe, Collin Dowden, Regan David Martin, and the unidentified woman on the Lusignan Railway Embankment, these reforms will come too late. But in their memory, the Police must act now to prevent more lives from being needlessly lost. The roads should not be death traps, and no one should live in fear of stepping outside, unsure if they will make it back home safely.
The question that lingers is not just about what can be done to stop these tragedies, but why, as a society, the time for action is now.
