Dear Editor,
I was involved in an accident on the La Grange Public Road on Monday, July 7, 2014 at 6pm. A vehicle (number given) hit my car PFF 1406 from behind, and sent it into the large trench on the western side of the road where it landed upside down. The driver of the red Nissan pickup then sped away leaving my father and myself there.
If it had not been for a group of men on a truck, we would have died. A few public-spirited citizens chased after the drunken driver and found him hiding in the new access road to Parfaite Harmonie.
About a week later, I was told by the traffic rank at La Grange Police Station that they will charge the man responsible for the accident; however, on July 18, I went to the Wales Magistrate’s Court waiting to hear what charges they had instituted against the perpetrator after being informed by the police that the driver would appear in court to answer charges. I went to the prosecutor to obtain this information and was told that there were no charges for that individual. I then left and contacted the traffic rank who was supposed to charge the man, and he told me that he had already filed a charge. I asked him what charge, and he responded “Dangerous driving.” I then enquired about other charges such as fleeing the scene of an accident, speeding and failure to render assistance. He said he only charged the man with dangerous driving.
I am now officially fed up with the system in this country. Is it the case that money was passed to someone in authority so that the course of justice could be averted? Who will pay to have my car fixed? The Commissioner of Police? The Home Affairs Minister? The La Grange Police?
I went to court at Wales this morning, July 21. The defendant was absent from court. No arrest warrant was issued for him neither was the police officer who charged him present in court.
Yours faithfully,
Reginald Bissoo
Editor’s note
We are sending a copy of this letter to Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud for any comment he might wish to make.