Seven months after an accident on Water Street, Georgetown claimed the life of a security guard, Michael Hopkinson, 45, of Coverden, East Bank Demerara (ECD), has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving.
Hopkinson appeared before Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Friday, where he was formally charged with driving dangerously, causing the death of 63-year-old Doreen Fox-Haynes. He pleaded not guilty and was released on $300,000 bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for February 7, 2025.
Reports indicate that Hopkinson was driving an unregistered vehicle south along Water Street when he attempted to overtake a stationary motor lorry. During the manoeuvre, the rear left side of his vehicle struck Fox-Haynes, who was standing near the lorry.
Video footage reviewed by this publication showed that Fox-Haynes had been conversing with someone inside a green pickup, GAD 3272, which was double-parked near National Hardware on Water Street. As the truck approached, she braced herself against the parked vehicle. However, after the truck passed, she fell on the roadway.
The impact reportedly forced Fox-Haynes between the vehicles before she collapsed. She sustained injuries primarily to the right side of her body and was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where she later succumbed to her injuries.