Byron Pearson, a 67-year-old resident of Mongrippa Hill, Bartica, appeared on Friday at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Crystal Lambert and was found guilty of two counts of ‘Causing Death by Dangerous Driving’.
Pearson was sentenced to two years imprisonment for each charge, which will run concurrently, the police said in a statement yesterday.
Pearson was charged with the two counts almost a year ago (on 15th May 2023) when he first appeared before Magistrate Lambert where the charge was read to him. At that time he pleaded not guilty and was placed on $300,000 bail each.
He was charged and convicted relative to a fatal accident that occurred on 16th February 2023, at about 15:30 hrs at which time Pearson was the driver of motorcar PRR 5669 which was proceeding south along the eastern side of Fourth Avenue, Bartica.
He failed to stop at a ‘stop sign’ on the approach to Fifth Street, Bartica, resulting in a collision with motorcyclist David Huggins, age 26, and pillion rider Felicia Lewis, age 23, both of whom succumbed to their injuries.
A release from the Guyana Police Force had said that the accident occurred at Fourth Avenue and Fifth Street in Bartica. It involved a motorcycle, CL 3359, owned and ridden by Huggins, pillion rider Lewis, and a motorcar PRR 5669 owned and driven by Pearson, a taxi driver of Mongrippa Hill, Bartica.
Enquiries revealed that the motor car was proceeding south along the eastern side of Fourth Avenue, Bartica, at a rate of about 20 kph and failed to observe the stop sign at the Fifth Street intersection, Bartica. The motorcycle on the other hand, was proceeding east along the northern side of Fifth Street at a fast rate and collided with the right side of the car.
As a result, Huggins and Lewis fell on the road and sustained injuries to their heads and bodies. They were picked up in an unconscious state by public-spirited persons and rushed to the Bartica Regional Hospital. After being examined the pillion rider was pronounced dead on arrival.
Huggins however, was admitted to the male surgical ward suffering from head trauma and lacerations to his body. His condition was regarded as critical. He was airlifted by the Guyana Defence Force to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
The driver of the motorcar was given a breathalyzer test which found no trace of alcohol in his system.
