The 29-year-old lorry driver of Lovely Lass village, West Coast Berbice, who injured a senior police officer along with a police constable in an early morning accident on August 2, 2023 along the Friendship Public Road is before the courts.
Romel Benjamin appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman on January 10 at the Diamond Magistrates’ Court where the charge of dangerous driving was read to him. He plead not guilty and was remanded to prison. The case was then adjourned to February 8, which the defendant attended via Zoom and was granted $50,000 bail. The next hearing was scheduled for March 12, however, it was further adjourned to April 8 and evidence was taken.
The matter is set to continue on May 10 at the Diamond Magistrates’ Court.
The accident involved a pickup, PAC 5254, owned by the Guyana Police Force and a lorry GAE 38, owned by Ashoka Buildcon Limited of GuySuCo compound, La Bonne Intention, East Coast Demerara.
A police report stated that both the driver of the pickup, Ellery Mason, a 31-year-old police constable stationed at the Regional 4 ‘B’ headquarters and passenger, former Commander of the Regional Division 4 ‘B’, Senior Superintendent Police Mahendra Singh who is presently the Traffic Chief, were injured. At the time of the accident, the lorry was being driven by Benjamin.
Enquiries revealed that the lorry was speeding north along the Friendship Public Road while the Force’s pickup was proceeding in the opposite direction without flashlights and siren, heading to a presidential engagement. The lorry started overtaking a line of traffic and ended up into the path of the police pickup. As a result, the front of the lorry collided with the front of the pickup, with both vehicles being extensively damaged.
The injured policemen were picked up by public-spirited citizens and rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre.
The driver was subsequently referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH), where he was admitted suffering from a broken right leg and left wrist. Commander Singh was also taken to the GPH, where he was admitted suffering multiple abrasions about the body.
A Breathalyzer test was conducted on the driver of the lorry, but no trace of alcohol was found in his system. He has been served with a Notice of Intended Prosecution.
Both the driver and the constable involved in the accident have recovered from their injuries sustained in the accident.
