-former soldier killed in accident
-toddler among others hospitalized

A CHRISTMAS night outing ended tragically for several friends when a former soldier was killed in an accident on the Ruimzeight Public Road, West Coast Demerara (WCD) early yesterday.

Dead is Godfrey Dason Bess, 22, of Crane Housing Scheme, WCD. Another occupant of the car, Godfrey Mounter, 19, also of Crane, is currently hospitalized at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Richard Blackett, another occupant of the car, sustained an injury to his right instep, as well as cuts and bruises about his body. He and two others were treated and sent away.

According to a police release, Bess was driving a motor car along the Ruimzeight Public Road when he attempted to overtake another vehicle and collided with an oncoming motor vehicle. He later succumbed while receiving medical attention.

The occupants of the other vehicle included its driver, Eshwar Deochand, 30, of La Grange, West Bank Demerara, and 3-year-old Nayesha Nandalall, who reportedly sustained a broken leg. They were reportedly admitted to the Woodlands Hospital in the city following the accident.

Bess had been a former serving member of the Guyana Defence Force. His colleagues were either serving or former members ot he army. The young man and his friends were rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, where they were treated and later referred to the GPHC. He died at about 9 am, while on the operating table. He reportedly sustained inquires to his face, neck, and abdomen.

Reports are that Bess and his friends were travelling to the city after attending a social event at Vergenoegen ,East Bank Essequibo, on Christmas night. At Ruimzeight, he attempted to overtake a Toyota Raum when the brakes of his vehicle reportedly failed, and he was further hindered by the bright lights of an oncoming vehicle. Soon after, the young man lost control of the car and slammed into the back of the Toyota Raum.

When this newspaper visited the scene yesterday, several shards of glass and parts from both cars were strewn about the Ruimzeight roadway. A Wallers Delight resident said she was about to get out of her bed at about 04:00 hrs when she heard a loud crashing sound several houses away. She said that when she looked up the road, she saw two cars along the sides of the roadway with their indicator lights on.

The woman said she did not pay much attention to the scene, since the accident did not appear serious. “It was dark and we didn’t really sure what was happening,” she said. Several boys from the village visited the scene, she recalled, and they informed her about the seriousness of the accident.

Bess was pinned in the car for some time before he was pulled out and taken to the hospital, she said.

At the GPHC, relatives of the deceased, including his mother and father, were inconsolable. Blackett and another occupant, who were awaiting transportation shorty after being discharged, were in obvious pain. Relatives of Mounter sat around the hospital as medical staff treated him for his injuries

Safety on Guyana’s roads has been an arduous task facing the authorities, and this year has been one of the bloodiest thus far. Statistics for the year indicate that there have been over 100 accidents, with more than 118 fatalities. The figure is slightly lower than last year’s, when there were 124 road accidents resulting in 133 deaths. (Alva Solomon)