THIRTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD father of three, Rodwell Mercurius died on Sunday after a collision between his motorcycle and a car. The crash hurled him some distance from the point of impact on Diamond Public Road, East Bank Demerara and he was pronounced dead on arrival at Diamond Diagnostic Centre about 12:30 hrs.
Mercurius, from Friendship Squatting Area, also on the East Bank of Demerara, is a brushcutter who was riding CD 4968 on his way home when he was hit by PFF 1671.
The driver of the car who was, allegedly, under the influence of alcohol, was taken into police custody for further investigations. Meanwhile, Police Traffic Headquarters, at Eve Leary, Georgetown, reported, yesterday, that for this year so far, there have been 25 road accidents resulting in 26 deaths, two of the victims being children. For the corresponding period in 2011, there were 33 road accidents causing 33 deaths.
So far, pedal cyclists are the main road users affected with seven such persons having lost their lives on the roads as of March this year. Six drivers and five pedestrians have also lost their lives unto March this year. Police said speeding continues to be a major contributing factor to fatal accidents, it having caused 14 of the 21 fatal accidents at the end of March this year.
Meanwhile, the police are continuing enforcement activities along with the use of the breathalysers, radar guns and traffic education. At the end of March, this year, a total of 17, 974 cases were made against errant motorists and, of that number, 4,411 were for speeding.