THE death of pedestrian Reena Devi Singh, called ‘Asha’ and ‘Ashmanie’, of Letter Kenny Village, Corentyne, Berbice has sparked two investigations, respectively in causing death by dangerous driving and in the subsequent torching of the blue station wagon, motor car PMM 3080.

Police Deputy Commander Marlon Chapman, acting Berbice Divisional Commander in absence of Commander Brian Joseph, who is on vacation, told the Guyana Chronicle that the police are seeking assistance from public-spirited citizens who would have witnessed and recorded what may have transpired on Sunday evening when the pedestrian was struck and when the vehicle was torched.

Investigations have revealed that the driver of motor car PMM 3080 was motoring eastward along the Letter Kenny Public Road when another vehicle ahead suddenly turned right into a cross street without that driver indicating his intention. In an effort to avoid a collision, the motorist behind swerved to the right, and into the path of the unfortunate Reena Singh, who had seconds before disembarked from a minibus.

The consequence resulted in angry residents protesting the outcome, and allegedly torching the car after they learned that the teenager had died.

Subsequent intervention of the police resulted in the protest being quelled, but anger and frustration were at their peak, as residents recalled the deaths of teenage girls Tabitha La Toya Bagot and Malika Waneta Bagot, and their three-year-old niece Shamaine, only a few months ago.
On June 4, 2014, at 18:30hrs, motorist Nekash Persaud allegedly drove his vehicle under the influence of alcohol and hit Delroy Park who was cycling along the Kilmarnock Village. Failing to stop and render assistance, the motorist instead accelerated his vehicle, slamming into the three girls and resulting in them being flung in various directions.

And as if that were not enough, the motorist, who told investigators that he thought he had hit donkeys, continued his journey to Number 35 Village, Corentyne, where he hit another cyclist, Matthew Mc Bean.

Residents of Letter Kenny have said that stiffer laws need to be implemented with respect to the offence of causing death by dangerous driving. They opine that a vehicular manslaughter charge should be implemented by which suspects should remain incarcerated until determination of their matters.

A resident who spoke under condition of anonymity said, “Look at the other accident at Number 19 Village in October 2010, twelve people died. The driver was granted bail and continues driving as though nothing happened. Justice was never served. Bread winners died, life changed for the relatives, but for that driver (name supplied) life goes on….

“This forces people to take matters into their own hands …the legal system is a waste of time”.

This newspaper was reliably informed that the gun found in the car that was involved in last Sunday’s accident was not a genuine weapon, but was a toy gun. The identification cards were not fake, but belonged to the driver, the owner of the car and another relative; while the hat which was described as a toque was a Taquyah [skull cap] a male Muslim headwear.

The driver of PMM 3080 remains in police custody as police investigations continue into the incident.