Four dead in minibus, truck smash-up ... Teen truck driver can't say if he was licensed

Four dead in minibus, truck smash-up … Teen truck driver can’t say if he was licensed

Oct 20, 2013 News

By Javone Vickerie

The truck driver
Repish Bhagwandin

As the families of four persons who perished in a two-vehicle smash up on the Coverden Public Road grieve, the teen driver implicated in the fatal accident said that he was driving his father’s truck at the time of the accident.
The driver of motor lorry GPP 8495, Repish Bhagwandin, 19, of Hope, East Coast Demerara, who is currently a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital, said that he was heading to Georgetown with a truck belonging to his father when the accident occurred.
When asked how he acquired his driver’s licence, he said, “I don’t have anything to say, I am in pain.”
The police in a press release stated that the young driver allegedly attempted to pass another motor lorry that was parked on the roadway.
In so doing the truck ended up in the path of the minibus BPP 3521 that was proceeding in the opposite direction.
The vehicles collided head on. The driver of the minibus, Felix Marc and passenger Delroy Evans were killed on the spot.
Loretta Evans died at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre and Pulmattie Samaroo, of Mahdia, later succumbed to her injuries at the GPHC.
Although Bhagwandin sustained no visible injuries, he continuously cried out for pain.
“It’s not like we don’t want to talk but look at him. He is in a lot of pain right now, please don’t pressure him to talk,” his mother appealed.

Dead: Loretta Evans

The mother also told Kaieteur News that the family has since hired a lawyer who interviewed the 19-year-old early yesterday.
Meanwhile, one of the survivors, Savitri Thomas, who was seated in the front seat of minibus, said that she cannot recall what happened when the truck struck the bus head on.
“I was going up to Mahdia because I cook up there but I was in another bus waiting for it to full. So I decide to go in Bertie (Felix) bus because he needed one more to move off and I know he good because I travel with him already,” Thomas said.
The injured woman told this publication that she last remembered driving along the Land of Canaan Public Road. “He turned into a gas station to pick up a cooler and when he turned back onto the road I don’t know when this truck hit we how this thing happen suh sudden but all I remember is waking up in Diamond Hospital,” the injured woman said.
Thomas told Kaieteur News that Felix was not known to be a “speeding” driver. “He was not a man that does speed because a lot of people use to complain about how he use to take he time on the road and the trail. Since I going Mahdia he does drive real careful”.

4 thoughts on “Four dead in minibus, truck smash-up … Teen truck driver can’t say if he was licensed”

Morgan October 20, 2013 at 9:37 am

If I remember correctly you have to be older than 19 to have a truck licence
Pouderoyen Man October 20, 2013 at 10:39 am

He should be jailed for the rest of his life.
GtYouth October 20, 2013 at 11:00 am

This mother have or show no remorse for the deaths her son cause, all she thinking is the pain her son in. What about the pain of all the families of those that are dead and those who are in pain, if that driver don’t have a driver’s licence jail him…20 yrs consecutive sentence for each death.
garry October 21, 2013 at 6:18 pm

It is obvious that he does not possess a truck licence and the High Court will take 10-15 years to hear the case and award damages, and by this time the driver and his family sell off all their assets and reside in the USA. So in this case justice is just a waste of time. It is obvious that he paid bribe to be on bed rest while he does not have to spend one minute in jail. I am not surprised if he is whisked out of the country