-pillion rider still in critical condition

PERSONS often complain about having to wait in a line of traffic at a traffic light but, many times those lights regulate the flow of traffic and ensure that accidents are avoided.
A little patience at a traffic light is better than having to manoeuver your way through an unregulated flow of traffic since it could lead to an accident.

Persons who were standing in front of the Botanical Garden and at the corner of Regent Street and Vlissengen Road on Friday were witnesses to a fatal accident, which they believe could have probably been avoided if the traffic light, which regulates traffic in that area, was working.

Motorcyclist, 29-year-old Mark Sauers of Non Pariel, East Coast Demerara, lost his life in that gruesome accident, while his pillion rider, 41-year-old Eon Howard was severely injured.

Eyewitnesses who were at the scene, said prior to the accident, traffic was chaotic in the area because the traffic lights were not working at the time.
It was confirmed by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) that the traffic light was not working at the time of the accident.

“As both vehicles approached the intersection of Regent and Vlissengen Road, which is controlled by traffic light signals which were not in working order at the time, the minibus proceeded to turn west onto Regent Street and the motorcyclist continued north and, in doing so, the motorcycle collided into the left side of the minibus,” said the police.
As a result of the impact, both the motorcyclist and the pillion rider fell off the motor cycle and onto the road surface where they sustained multiple injuries.
Driver of the Route 40 minibus, BVV5557, Mark Pancham, in an invited comment, confirmed that he was travelling along Vlissengen road, turning into Regent Street when Sauers, who was travelling along the opposite side of Vlissingen Road, smashed into the side of his bus.

Pancham claimed that the motorcyclist was speeding and even overtook another vehicle before crashing into the bus.

The police report also indicated that the motorcycle was proceeding north along the western side of Vlissengen Road at a “very fast” rate of speed and both the rider and the pillion rider were not wearing safety helmets.

As a result of the accident, Sauers, a businessman, reportedly died on the spot while Howard was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he was regarded as critical because of head injuries and broken bones.

“He still in the hospital…we visit he this morning and we see that he hand and foot break and he could barely talk…he keep asking is he friend (Sauers) ok,” said Howard’s sister, Rochelle Howard in an invited comment on Saturday.

Rochelle said her brother is still in a critical condition but the family is hoping for the best.
According to the police, passengers of the bus were also injured but they were treated at the GPHC and sent away on the same day.
The body of Sauers was taken to the Lyken Funeral Parlour and is awaiting a post-mortem examination.

A breathalyzer test was conducted on the driver of the minibus and no trace of alcohol was found in his system, so he was served with a notice of intended prosecution and placed in custody.