CARNAGE on the roadways for the past 24 hours between Sunday and Monday resulted in several deaths.

On Sunday, 31-year-old Leon Fung-a-Fat of Lot 162 Annandale South, East Coast Demerara (ECD) was killed in an apparent hit and run accident at Annandale, ECD.
Fung-a-Fat, a labourer, was reportedly struck down at about 21:30h while walking along the main access road.

He was then picked up and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital for medical attention but was pronounced dead upon arrival.

His mother, Joylyn Fung-a-Fat, said she was at home when she received news that her son was involved in an accident and that he was in an unconscious state.
However, upon visiting the hospital he was already dead. From all indication, she said he sustained severe head injuries.

Meanwhile, in the wee hours of Monday morning, a 28-year-old motorcyclist of lot 204, Guyhoc Park, Georgetown, lost his life while his pillion rider and friend, a 22-year-old of Perry Street, Tucville, was hospitalized.

Dead is Stephon Beckles. He was riding motorcycle CH 9859 which crashed on Vlissengen Road, in the vicinity of Ministry of Agriculture. The pillion rider was identified as Kevin Andy.
Police said that the 29-year-old driver of the car, PTT 2510, of Thomas Street, Kitty, was found to be above the legal limit of alcohol and is in custody assisting with investigations.
As a result of the collision the motorcyclist along with the pillion rider fell onto the road surface, and received injuries to their heads and other parts of the bodies.

The pillion rider was picked up by public-spirited citizens in a conscious condition and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was admitted.

Beckles was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Mortuary awaiting autopsy.
An early Sunday morning accident at Golden Grove, West Berbice resulted in the death of a young man while his friend has been hospitalised in a critical condition.

Dead is Lincoln Carmichael, 21, while his friend, whose name was given as Shamar Hercules, also 21, has been hospitalised in a critical condition. Both men lived at Seafield, West Berbice.

Reports are that the two young men were travelling in a Nissan Bluebird motorcar PSS 2472 around 04:00hrs on Sunday when Hercules, who was driving at the time, lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a utility pole.

They were seen hanging out with friends earlier at the village of Hopetown prior to the accident. Reports are that the driver may have been speeding since the car crossed the roadway and crashed into the utility pole.

Another horrific crash occurred at the village of Cullen on the Essequibo Coast on Sunday involving motorcar HB 6973 that crashed into a tree.

Dead is Premnarine Rampersaud, 32, of Lot 191 Herstelling EBD.
Enquiries disclosed that the hire car was proceeding south along the eastern driving lane of Cullen Public Road with Rampersaud in the front passenger seat and 23-year-old Fazil Salim in the rear seat.

It was reported that the driver lost control of his vehicle causing the front to collide with a tree located on the eastern side of the road.

As a result of the collision, both passengers received injuries while the driver fled the accident scene and reported to the Anna Regina Police Station.

The passengers were picked up and Rampersaud was pronounced dead on arrival while Salim who was in a conscious state was admitted to the Suddie Public Hospital.
A breathalyzer test was conducted on the driver and he was found above the legal limit.
There has been a 20.8 percent increase in fatal accidents and a 19.2% increase in deaths resulting from fatal accidents for the period of January 1 to April 3, 2019 as compared to the corresponding period last year, said the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

The GPF has been engaged in a massive education and sensitization campaign which has placed great emphasis on youths and students as well as minibus owners and operators.