Pedal cyclist killed on Diamond access road

Aug 09, 2010 News

– fourth fatality in seven months on same roadway

A 33-year-old pedal cyclist was killed on the spot at around 18:20 hrs yesterday, after being struck by a Canter truck on the main access road to the Diamond Housing Scheme.
He is the fourth person to be killed on the same roadway within the past seven months.

Dead: 33-year-old Yogeshwar Samaroo

Yogeshwar Samaroo, of Ninth Street, Diamond New Scheme, was struck off of his bicycle in the vicinity of Seventh Street.
Kaieteur News understands that the driver, who is from Craig Village, East Bank Demerara, alleged that he was heading east when Samaroo rode into his path.
However, other eyewitnesses have reportedly blamed the driver for the mishap.
He has been detained.
Samaroo’s sister, Shevonne Ramdeo told Kaieteur News that her brother, who was a carpenter, was returning home after visiting another sibling.
Ms. Ramdeo said someone informed them by telephone about the mishap but by the time they raced down to the scene, Samaroo appeared to be already dead.
“When we reach to the scene de Canter driver still went deh and meh brother just deh pon de road with he head crush and he bicycle not far from he.”
The woman said that a police vehicle eventually took her brother to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where he was pronounced dead. The body was subsequently taken to the Lyken Funeral Home.
According to Ms. Ramdeo, the truck driver claimed that her brother had made a sudden dash in front of his vehicle after turning out from ‘second bridge’.
“Second bridge deh a lil distance from Seventh Street and meh brother deh close to Seventh Street and till in de corner ah de road…so something wrong deh.”
Later, relatives gathered at the victim’s home, where some lamented over the fact that Samaroo was a hard worker who always kept himself out of trouble.
“He does do he lil carpenter and mason work and since he aint got no wife and children, he always deh close with he family…is he brother he went and see when he get he death,” one relative noted.
The Diamond access road is fast becoming a deadly one for commuters and pedestrians.
In March, Cheryl David, 58, of Diamond New Scheme was killed when a car she was travelling in crashed into a culvert.
In April, Ramona Harris, a 24-year-old mother of one, perished in a hit-an-run accident near Eleventh Street, Diamond New Scheme on Good Friday.
The owner of the car was charged with breach of insurance but to date, no one has been charged in connection with Harris’s death.
And in May, a middle-aged man was killed when he was struck by a car on the same access road.

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Search continues for missing fishermen

Relatives continue to pray for the safety of three missing fishermen, even as a search yesterday turned up with no trace of the trio or the vessel ‘Captain Sunil’.
Boat owner Winston Goriah told Kaieteur News that he again scoured the Atlantic yesterday for signs of his boat and crew.
Goriah said that he has depleted his funds in trying to locate the missing men. According to Goriah, he purchased the vessel about a month ago.
He estimated the 38-foot boat and engine to be worth about $1M and he is still to complete paying for the vessel.
The men, 44-year-old Teserdeen Lochan, called ‘Paulin’ of Lot 70 Madawini, and brothers Jairam Surujpaul, 42, and ‘Foman’ Surujpaul, of Lot Five Bladen Hall, East Coast Demerara, left for their fishing trip two Saturday ago.
They were due back last Tuesday but have not been seen since.
Mr. Goriah told Kaieteur News that he chartered a plane Saturday and searched the Berbice and Pomeroon Rivers in an effort to find the crew.

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Commander calls for residents to be more security conscious

NEW AMSTERDAM, BERBICE – Commander of Division ‘B’ of the Guyana Police Force, Assistant Commissioner Steve Merai is appealing to residents to pay more attention to what is taking place in their environment.
This he said can result in fewer reports of crime. According to him, there is a general need for persons to place more emphasis on their safety and ensure that their property is properly secured.
He believes that residents must be aware of ‘flat-foot thieves’ and ‘junkies’, who are around constantly observing their movements. “Don’t create an environment to attract persons with criminal intent. Generally you should be thy neighbour’s keeper. Many people leave keys on locks making it easier for intruders to enter. Flat foot thieves are clever. They are there by day and by night.”
According to him, some pretend to be fishing in the nearby drain or just taking a stroll, but in reality they are actually surveying the place and then act as soon as the opportunity presents itself.
Commander Merai is appealing to persons not to ignore strangers in their neighbourhood.
“Question them and ask them to leave or call the police. Shopkeepers, look at strangers, observe their movements. Some shopkeepers leave their business unattended and customers must knock on the counters for a long time before they appear. Traditionally, people have this culture, they leave their door open or shop open and go to sleep or something and bandits make use of that. You will continue to lose. Junkies and flat footers are all over the place.”
He said do not turn a blind eye to the junkie or labourer, who may be in the company of a woman.
“They even come and ask to weed or clean drains. Don’t be fooled if you see them with a female, in many cases the woman is a part of the act too. A few of them use kids. Don’t underrate some small kids too.” Abandoned buildings also tend to be a haven for those with criminal intent.
“Keep an eye on empty buildings and if necessary call the police whenever you see suspicious movements. The buildings in many cases are used as bases. Call us and we will act.”
He suggested that the business entities find alternative and more secure ways to transport cash and not rely on traditional methods which in many cases may lure bandits. The overall drop in crime is a result of increased and unscheduled patrols, more intelligence-led policing, heavy input from the Criminal Investigation Department and support from other sections among other strategies.
According to Merai, the Division continues to review strategies and implement new ones and reshape old ones in order to stay at the top of the game. Continuous training for ranks is another reason. Recently, several sessions were held in Berbice at the Felix Austin Police College at Adventure, at the Central Police Station in New Amsterdam and at the Fort Wellington Police Station. Some of the recent lectures were based on When to Fire, The Use of Force and How to Act in some environments, such as schools, markets and crowded areas. The ranks are expected to leave the big arms behind and approach with smaller or no weapons, all the while being cautious and taking into consideration the safety of crowd. Systems were already put in place to ensure senior ranks are in charge of vehicular patrols.
The Commander said that though there has been a reduction in crime in Division ‘B’, some are of a different perception which could be based on distortion, or the fact that many cases are sensationalised. He is calling for co-operation from members of the public in order to keep the rate of crime down and for those with information to pass it on to police.