A POLICE constable in ‘D’ Division, West Coast Demerara, was placed under close arrest yesterday after he struck down a student of the Uitvlugt Secondary School on the pedestrian crossing while driving a police car around 08:00 hrs.Eleven-year-old Parminie Persaud, a Grade 7 student, was up to yesterday evening receiving medical attention for lacerations to the body caused by the accident.

Her grandmother told the Guyana Chronicle at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) yesterday morning that she had dressed her granddaughter and sent her off to school from their Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo home.
However, shortly afterwards, she received a call from a teacher of the school informing her that the child had been struck down by a police car on the pedestrian crossing near her school.

When this publication arrived at the WDRH, the child had just reached there from the Leonora Cottage Hospital where she was rushed immediately after the accident.

The child arrived in a police car, and her school uniform was partially covered in blood as she was being given insulin.

Persons who gathered at the hospital to check on her condition, including her teachers, said that the police vehicle, which is normally used by the Divisional Commander, was speeding with its siren blaring. The commander was not in the vehicle at the time.

It was also stated that the police car at the time was overtaking a line of other vehicles moving at a snail’s pace as they were near the school, and had to allow children to use the pedestrian crossing.

Commander Steven Mansell, who went immediately to the hospital upon being informed about the accident, told this publication yesterday morning that he had met with the grandparent of the injured child and offered the force’s full assistance.

The commander said that from what he gathered, the rank was indeed speeding. He also confirmed that he was in his office when he received a call about the accident.

Asked if the driver was on an assignment, the Commander responded in the negative. He said that initial evidence proved that the police constable had no right to be using the siren at the time of the accident, nor was he required to be overtaking vehicles, as there was no emergency.

According to Mansell, the police rank was returning from filling up on fuel at the time of the accident.

Meanwhile, the commander assured that the police constable will be charged criminally, not departmentally, as an investigation is underway, and already statements have been taken from eyewitnesses as well as the police rank himself.

“I heard that he was using sirens at the time. The siren was on, and it did not warrant that, as there was no need for a rush,” the commander pointed

out.

By Leroy Smith