A University of Guyana student was on Tuesday charged with causing the death of Kenneth Smith, who was struck down while on his way to purchase a lottery ticket at De Willem, West Coast Demerara.
The accused, Tyree Li-A-Ping, 21, appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty, at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail in the sum of $300,000.
The matter was adjourned until August 11.
Smith, a 54-year-old bus driver of Lot 53 Ocean View, West Coast Demerara was killed by a speeding car at De Willem, West Coast Demerara, on Saturday.
Smith’s friend, 43-year-old Rampaul Sursen, a carpenter of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, was also injured in the accident.
According to a police report, at about 5:45 pm, a pickup, GPP 8150 driven by thirty-nine-year-old Sahadeo Singh of Hydronie, East Bank Essequibo, was proceeding east along the northern side of the road in a line of traffic when the driver said that he turned on his right traffic indicator to turn south into Harrykissoon Street.
Footage viewed by this newspaper showed that as Singh was turning, the car, PZZ 9052, driven by Li-A-Ping, overtook a line of cars behind the pickup. Whilst overtaking, the driver of the car lost control and hit the rear of the pickup causing it to spin. After hitting the pickup, Li-A-Ping crashed into a fence along the northern side of the road before finally colliding with Smith and Sursen who were standing in the yard of the shop.
The pedestrians were picked up in an unconscious state and rushed to the Leonora Cottage Hospital. Smith died while receiving medical attention while Sursen was transferred to the West Demerara Regional Hospital suffering from a fractured left ankle and injuries about his body.
Breathalyzer tests were conducted on both drivers and both tests read zero.
