Devon Pydana, who drove a car filled with party-goers into two parked trucks along the Golden Grove Public Road, at West Coast Berbice, was remanded to prison yesterday after being charged with three counts of causing death by dangerous driving.
Pydana, 28, of Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Berbice, was also charged with one count of refusing to undergo a breathalyser test when he was arraigned yesterday before Magistrate Rhondel Weaver at the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court.
He was not required to plea to the indictable charges of causing death by dangerous driving but pleaded not guilty to the breathalyser charge. He was remanded to prison by the magistrate, who adjourned the proceedings until April 15th.
During the wee hours on March 30th, Pydana drove with other eight persons in a Toyota Raum vehicle and crashed into the trucks.
According to the police statement on the accident, Pydana was allegedly speeding along the road when he lost control of the vehicle and collided with the parked vehicles.
The crash end the lives of Tommy Thomas, called ‘Tommy Lee,’ 22, of New Amsterdam; Jeron James, 19, of New Amsterdam; and Andrew Doris, 19, of Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara.
Responders found the passengers sandwiched in the crushed vehicle after the accident. As a result, some rescuers were reported to have been forced to make use of wooden bars to remove some of the victims from the wreckage.
Pydana, Brian Simion, 26, Janet Blackman, 28, Danielle Toney, 19, Llewanna Ross, 17, and Jamica Munroe 18, who were the other occupants of the vehicle, were all hospitalised after accident.
Simion remains hospitalised with broken ribs and a punctured lung.
Stabroek News was told that the other injured persons were discharged from the hospital.
Stabroek News was told that the group had attended a barbecue at Stanleytown, New Amsterdam.
The group then visited a pool party at Mount Sinai and then moved on to a popular club in New Amsterdam.
However, after not finding much action at the club, they left for an entertainment center called Te Amo on the West Coast Berbice.
