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THE 17-year-old, who was driving the ‘Tundra’ that collided with a minibus resulting in the death of two persons on Sunday, yesterday appeared before Magistrate Alex Moore at the Sparendaam Court where he was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. The teen, Gidram Rasiawan of Eccles, East Bank Demerara pleaded “not guilty” to the charge and has been placed on $7,500 bail.
Rasiawan, however, remained in custody and was assisting with investigations into the fatal accident.
The Police, in a statement yesterday, said the teen driver “was found to be over the legal limit in terms of the consumption of alcohol.”
According to the Police statement, the accident occurred at about 21:00 hrs Sunday night at Mon Repos Public Road, East Coast Demerara. It resulted in the death of mini-bus driver Godfrey Daniels, 42 years, of Ann’s Grove, ECD, and passenger Shondell Yaw, 36 years, of Annandale, ECD.
“Investigations have revealed that the driver of motor pick-up GLL 6514 was proceeding along the roadway, allegedly at a fast rate, when he lost control of the vehicle and collided with mini-bus BMM 8260 which was proceeding in the opposite direction,” the Police stated.
As a result, the 16 persons in the mini-bus all received injuries and were taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where the driver Godfrey Daniels and passenger Shondell Yaw were pronounced dead on arrival. The others were admitted to the hospital for medical treatment.
The Chronicle was told by persons at the scene that the Tundra came out of a cross street in Mon Repos, and ended up in the path of the minibus which was proceeding West along the public road.
This newspaper was also told that the minibus was travelling at a fast rate, and one of the injured said while they were in the vicinity of Buxton, the driver had to take evasive action to avoid hitting a pedal cyclist who was emerging from a street in that village.
The passenger said, at that point, passengers cautioned the driver to reduce his speed. Another passenger said, after the near miss at Buxton, he was relaxing in the bus when, shortly after, he noticed a very bright light directly in front of it and, within seconds, the collision occurred.
LOUD SOUND
A woman, who lives near the scene, said she was in her house when she heard a loud sound and, upon checking, she saw that the two vehicles had crashed.
Without giving her name, she informed that she and her husband rushed to the scene and attempted to pull persons out of the bus. The conductor was badly injured and there was a pregnant woman who appeared to be pinned to the front seat and she and her husband used a huge wooden plank to assist in freeing the trapped victims.
She said, as they pulled the injured from the wreck, they stopped passing vehicles to ask other drivers for help.
Another female driver said she was able to rush two young women to Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).
Meanwhile, in the midst of the confusion at East Coast on Sunday night, a young man was apprehended and handed over to the police after robbing some accident victims of their valuables. (Leroy Smith)
Rasiawan, however, remained in custody and was assisting with investigations into the fatal accident.
The Police, in a statement yesterday, said the teen driver “was found to be over the legal limit in terms of the consumption of alcohol.”
According to the Police statement, the accident occurred at about 21:00 hrs Sunday night at Mon Repos Public Road, East Coast Demerara. It resulted in the death of mini-bus driver Godfrey Daniels, 42 years, of Ann’s Grove, ECD, and passenger Shondell Yaw, 36 years, of Annandale, ECD.
“Investigations have revealed that the driver of motor pick-up GLL 6514 was proceeding along the roadway, allegedly at a fast rate, when he lost control of the vehicle and collided with mini-bus BMM 8260 which was proceeding in the opposite direction,” the Police stated.
As a result, the 16 persons in the mini-bus all received injuries and were taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where the driver Godfrey Daniels and passenger Shondell Yaw were pronounced dead on arrival. The others were admitted to the hospital for medical treatment.
The Chronicle was told by persons at the scene that the Tundra came out of a cross street in Mon Repos, and ended up in the path of the minibus which was proceeding West along the public road.
This newspaper was also told that the minibus was travelling at a fast rate, and one of the injured said while they were in the vicinity of Buxton, the driver had to take evasive action to avoid hitting a pedal cyclist who was emerging from a street in that village.
The passenger said, at that point, passengers cautioned the driver to reduce his speed. Another passenger said, after the near miss at Buxton, he was relaxing in the bus when, shortly after, he noticed a very bright light directly in front of it and, within seconds, the collision occurred.
LOUD SOUND
A woman, who lives near the scene, said she was in her house when she heard a loud sound and, upon checking, she saw that the two vehicles had crashed.
Without giving her name, she informed that she and her husband rushed to the scene and attempted to pull persons out of the bus. The conductor was badly injured and there was a pregnant woman who appeared to be pinned to the front seat and she and her husband used a huge wooden plank to assist in freeing the trapped victims.
She said, as they pulled the injured from the wreck, they stopped passing vehicles to ask other drivers for help.
Another female driver said she was able to rush two young women to Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).
Meanwhile, in the midst of the confusion at East Coast on Sunday night, a young man was apprehended and handed over to the police after robbing some accident victims of their valuables. (Leroy Smith)
