A taxi driver was charged on Thursday at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court for a series of driving-related offences at Parika, East Bank Essequibo on Wednesday and was fined.
Navindra Persaud, 31, appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty where he was charged with driving under the influence (DUI), dangerous driving and failing to render assistance to an injured person.
Persaud was unrepresented and pleaded guilty to all the charges and was fined $100,000 or three months imprisonment on the DUI charge, $50,000 or three months imprisonment on the dangerous driving charge, and $20,000 or fourteen days imprisonment on the failing to render assistance charge.
CCTV footage that went viral on Wednesday showed Persaud driving dangerously when he swerved to the side of the road where a pedestrian, Otisha London was standing and narrowly missed hitting her with his car. The startled woman tried to jump away thinking that she would be hit, and in doing so, lost her footing and fell, sustaining several minor bruises.
Regional Commander of Region Three, Senior Superintendent Mahendra Siwnarine, confirmed that London received minor bruises as a result of Persaud’s driving. Also, seen in the video, a few seconds after the car missed London, the car also missed hitting a woman and a child.
The video also captured the moment when Persaud walked over to London, spoke a few words and walked back to his car and drove off. He was not seen proving any assistance to her.
Siwnarine noted that the driver attempted to elude arrest but was eventually he was apprehended by the police.
