Denzil Clarke, the driver who is accused of being responsible for the recent accident which resulted in the deaths of two Bourda market vendors along the Success Public Road, on the East Coast of Demerara, was remanded to prison yesterday after being charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.
The charges alleged that Clarke, on March 3rd, 2019, at Success, drove minibus BTT 4910 in a manner dangerous to the public, thereby causing the death of Denise Culley and Patricia Ellis, respectively.
Clarke, 47, a resident of Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara, was not required to plead to the indictable charges when he appeared before Magistrate Alisha George at the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Court One.
Bail was refused and the proceedings were adjourned until March 15th.
The accident occurred around 7.30 am after the bus, which was heading to the city, crashed and toppled several times before coming to a halt.
Culley, 58, of Vigilance, East Coast Demerara, died on the spot, and Ellis, 59, of Haslington, East Coast Demerara, later succumbed while being tended to by doctors in the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Several others passengers were also injured.
They have been identified as seven-year-old Jaden Moffat, 22-year-old Laffan Williams, 60-year-old June Abel of Good Hope, 38-year-old Wayne Blair of Golden Grove and 17-year-old Jordon Beaton.
They were all taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where they were admitted.
Beaton was said to have lost several fingers but was listed as being in a stable condition.
The police had said that the bus was proceeding at a fast rate west along the East Coast Highway at a section currently under construction.
Clarke reportedly told the police that a car collided with his left rear wheel, causing him to lose control and subsequently collide with the median.
As a result, the bus toppled and spun several times before coming to a halt in the middle of the other lane.
However, eyewitnesses and relatives of both Culley and Ellis previously related to Stabroek News that passengers were complaining about the speed at which the bus was moving. Other drivers had also reported seeing the bus on the highway moving at an “insane” speed.
A breathalyser test was conducted on the driver and no trace of alcohol was detected on his breath.
