Dear Editor,
Some things that occur in this country are simply too mindboggling to contemplate. I use the caption “Corentyne hit and run leaves two dead -driver held in city” (SN March 20) as basis. So many pieces of this accident, maybe what qualifies the charge of negligent homicide, confirm what is missing here, what is wrong relative to how we go about serious matters.
The driver was sober enough (reportedly) to ditch his car in Berbice, which I conclude based on the vehicle already being held at the Springlands Police Station. Somebody transported him to Georgetown, where he was later sober enough to pass a breathalyzer test. The timeline gave him enough space to ‘sober up’ if such was necessary, and get past our run of the mill breathalyzer test. According to SN, the accident occurred at 23:20hrs on Friday, and the news from one of the Police Public Relations chiefs was that the fleeing driver had “promised to turn himself in.” Further, the article noted that the word from the police was that the driver was arrested yesterday (Saturday) afternoon.
Editor, if I use 12:01hrs on Saturday as the arresting time, it would have been at least 12 hours since the time of the fatal accident. I hope that readers detect where I am going with the usefulness of a basic breathalyzer test at that time, which is being generous. I say this because “yesterday afternoon” when the test actually took place could have been hours later. This would have given the driver who recklessly (speeding) and callously (fleeing) cut short the time of two now dead young Guyanese, still more time. When I add all those home solutions that Guyanese are privy to, such as garlic and clove and the rest, I point again to what was administered as meaning nothing, proving nothing.
Why did he believe that flight was necessary? Why wait so long? Who was coaching him? Maybe, more relevantly, who is he connected to, is running interference, if such is the case? How about a little blood test, folks, which is all we have, since I believe that hair testing is beyond us currently.
Further, it is appalling that a man who allegedly mowed down two people is given the choice of promising “to turn himself in” at a time and place of his choosing. What the hell is going on here? In this country? I shouldn’t have to say it, but if some of us (‘naysayers’) were to so much as sneeze in public the SWAT team and COVID-19 enforcers would be out in full battle gear and full force immediately. There would be no need for the mighty U.S. Embassy to send out an urgent all-points bulletin to galvanize Guyanese law enforcement into action, like what occurred in the instance of the Stabroek Market.
Further still, the SN story pointed out that one of the now deceased victims was still conscious, but precious time was lost getting him immediately to a medical facility. This was while the driver was resourceful enough to ditch his vehicle and disappear into the darkness. It is debatable if the stricken accident victim could have been saved, but since he is now dead, and the alleged driver did succeed in saving his own skin, this is now meaningless, as to what should have been done, and who may have been given an opportunity, however remote, of still being around.
When I consider all this, it is clear that to label what took place as an “accident” is a gruesome understatement, a monstrous mismatch of what happened on the road, and the reality with which mourning families must now live. Some things are more than accidents, they possess all the components to be named murder, nothing less.
Sincerely,
GHK Lall