…near collision with President’s escort

A 37-YEAR-OLD man who drove his truck in a reckless manner and almost crashed into a police vehicle in President David Granger’s escort was on Friday fined $50,000 and had his licence suspended for three months.

Ewart Darlington of Linden appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and confessed that on December 22, at Friendship Public Road on the East Bank of Demerara, he drove motor lorry GWW 806 in a dangerous manner.

Police Prosecutor Arwin Moore told the court that on the day in question Darlington was driving his vehicle on the northern side of the road at a fast rate while the President’s convoy was proceeding south in the other lane with a police vehicle leading with its beacon lights and siren on.

It is alleged that when the police vehicle was about to pass the lorry the defendant overtook a car and ended up in the path of the police vehicle. The driver of the police vehicle quickly swerved to avoid a collision.

The unrepresented man explained that he did no hear the siren but saw the lights instead and while he was about to pass a parked car in his lane then he realised that the police car was coming in the other lane.