THE police yesterday reported that there have been 129 deaths, including 15 children, from 120 road accidents to date, while for the corresponding period in 2013 there were 92 road accidents in which 100 persons were killed, including nine children.

According to a release from Traffic Headquarters, Eve Leary, speeding, drunk driving and inattentiveness are the leading contributors of road accidents and fatalities.

Traffic Headquarters disclosed that for this year 56 pedestrians, 18 pedal cyclists, 25 motorists, 12 occupants of motorcars, three motor lorries, one minibus, one person being towed on a bicycle and 13 drivers all lost their lives on our roadways.

Meanwhile, following four separate fatal accidents on Sunday and Monday which claimed the lives of four men, Traffic Chief Hugh Denhert again called on everyone to use the roads in a better manner while exercising the five C’s – Care, Caution, Courtesy, Consideration and Commonsense.

He stated that the four more road fatalities on our roadways are far too many and it goes to show the poor use of the roads because “if you choose to ride a motorcycle without a helmet the consequences can be deadly.”

BAD CHOICES
The Traffic Chief added that persons continue to make bad choices when using the roads and the Traffic Department can only continue to appeal to all road users to let their good sense prevail.

Denhert said drinking and driving do not mix and drivers and others need to come to that realisation as he implored all road users to be considerate and look out for each other and promote road safety.

Meanwhile, Coordinator of the Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC) Ramona Doorgen told this publication that they are continuing to push for persons to be more responsible and to change their attitude.

She noted that road accidents can result in death and it is not easy for any family to lose a loved one as it has devastating consequences. In that light, she called on persons to ‘pull their socks up” and utilise the roads in a proper manner to reduce road accidents and fatalities.

On Monday at about 14:45 hrs on Betsy Ground Public Road, Canje, Berbice, passenger Mahendra Jugisteer, 30, also of Betsy Ground was killed when the car he was travelling in collided with a parked tractor-trailer.

Police reported that the driver of a motorcar in which Jugisteer was a passenger lost control of the vehicle which turned turtle after colliding with a parked tractor-trailer.

Jugisteer received injuries and was taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The driver of the vehicle is in police custody assisting with the investigations.

Meanwhile, at about 16:30 hrs on Sunday, November 23, at No. 68 Village Public Road, Corentyne, pedal cyclist Dhanraj Doodnauth, 76, also of No. 68 Village, lost his life when he was struck down by a speeding car.

A probe revealed that a motorcar was proceeding along the roadway allegedly at a fast rate and collided with the pedal cyclist. He was taken to the Skeldon Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The driver of the car is in police custody assisting with the investigations.

The police are investigating also a fatal accident that occurred at about 17:40 hrs on Sunday, November 23, on No. 10 Public Road, West Coast Berbice, which resulted in the death of motorcyclist, Dilchand Angad, 28, of Plantation Hope, WCB.

Police said Angad was driving a motorcycle along the roadway when he overtook a minibus and collided with a motor lorry that was travelling in the opposite direction.

He received injuries and was taken to the Fort Wellington Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

In a separate accident, police said they are also investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Alden Straker, 21, of Bartica.

At about 18:45 hrs on Sunday, November 23, Alden Straker and Julian Rodrigues, 21, also of Bartica, were found lying on the roadway at 4 Miles, Bartica, with injuries to their bodies.

They were taken to the Bartica Hospital where Straker was pronounced dead on arrival, while Rodrigues was admitted in a serious condition.

It is suspected that the men were involved in an accident. Two damaged motorcycles were found along the roadway.

(Michel Outridge)