Seven months after a Guyana Defence Force (GDF) rank struck down a nine-year-old on the East Coast Public Road, he appeared in court yesterday and was released on $25,000 bail.
Calvin Downer stood before Magistrate Sueanna Lovell yesterday and pleaded not guilty to a charge of dangerous driving.
The charge stated that on February 6, on the Fellowship Public Road, Downer, 29, drove motor car HB 8704 in a manner which was dangerous to the public.
Prosecutor Graham made no objections to bail while, she told the court that the defendant was driving at a fast rate of speed on the day in question.
The defendant was overtaking a vehicle when he struck down a pedestrian who came out from behind the vehicle the defendant was overtaking, the prosecutor added.
After the incident, Road, the child, Holly Ann Archer, was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for 18 days nursing a fracture to her leg a fractured skull, along with other injuries about her body.
She was still confined to bed when she was subsequently discharged.
She subsequently began receiving therapy at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) and about two months ago she started to walk again.
She was present at court in company of her grandmother who explained that Holly is still finding it difficult to balance on uneven surfaces and she also finds it difficult to climb stairs.
The child is still affected by the head injury she sustained as she blurts out anything that she remembers or comes to her mind.
Despite her condition, Holly has a cheerful disposition, but according to her grandmother, “Although she behaving like that… sometimes suddenly she will want to drink her tea in a nursing bottle and she want do all kind a funny things.”
Since she started walking, Holly has been attending a kindergarten school at her church, where she said that she has lots of friends and enjoys their company.
Meanwhile, Downer was ordered to return to court on October 26.
