The carnage continues…12 year old President’s College student is latest road fatality

Dec 29, 2014 News

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The roadways of Guyana have become killing fields within the past week with road fatalities continuing to climb even as the year 2014 draws to a close.
The latest victim is 12 year old President’s College Cujoe McPherson (Jnr.) of Fifth Street, Paradise (Dazell) Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara.

McPherson was killed just after midday by a speeding driver on the Paradise Railway Embankment while he was making his way back home on his bicycle after running an errand for his father.
His death is the ninth for the Christmas holidays and underscores the recklessness that prevails on the country’s roads despite talk by the police of zero tolerance for speeding and drunk driving.
Kaieteur News understands that the young man rode out from a cross street into the path of a speeding Toyota 212 Carina.
He was hurled several feet away from the point of impact, shattering the left side of the car’s windscreen while his bicycle landed in a nearby trench.
Several persons heard the impact and rushed to the scene but from all appearances, the young man died instantly, so severe were his injuries.
Nevertheless, his body was picked up and taken to the Georgetown Hospital where he was officially pronounced dead.
The young McPherson lived with his father and stepmother.
His father, who carries the same name, was at home when he received the tragic news.
He told members of the media that he had sent his son to pick up some items in the village and a few minutes later he heard that he was struck down.
According to the senior McPherson, a young man rode up to his house and told him that he wanted a word with him. McPherson immediately suspected that something terrible had happened to his son.

“I look at he and say, ‘Is wha happen to me son? Me son dead right?’ and he look at me again and he say he don’t really know,” McPherson recalled.
He jumped onto the motorcycle and was taken to the scene, all the while wishing that he was dreaming.
“But when I get there and ah se me son lie down in de grass corner, I know dat me son died and I turn around and look at the driver,” he stated.
He said when he saw the car with the hole in the windscreen he realized that his son had sustained massive injuries.
For McPherson, the death of his son is a painful blow since he has been saddled with his upbringing ever since the child’s mother moved out of their home.
McPherson, like many other persons who have lost their loved ones as a result of road accidents, is extremely worried that his son’s killer might get off lightly because of the legal system in Guyana.
“The offence, I know, is bailable, but it is unjust for people who work hard and bring up their child in the rightful manner, only for them to be killed like this. My son was going to President’s College and he was a shining armour in my life. The penalty is not right and for me the government should do something about it,” McPherson stated.
He said when he looked at the driver who was driving the car that killed his son, a thousand things flashed through his mind but the police quickly took the driver away to the Cove and John Police Station.
“I am not looking for a war, I am looking for justice. I lost my son and nothing can’t bring him back…but this put a hole in my heart for the rest of my life,” McPherson said.
The young Mc Pherson’s death comes at a time when the Guyana Police Force is desperately trying to keep up with the road fatality statistics.
Beginning last Sunday, road accidents have claimed the lives of nine persons.
On December 21 Parmanand Deokaran lost his life when a car crashed into him and his friends on the Providence, East Bank Demerara Public Road. The driver remains on the run.
Two days later, Yonette Branch, 16, was killed when the vehicle she was in crashed into a parked truck at Number 26 Village, West Coast Berbice.
That same day at Number Six Village, Pash Jienarine of Bath Housing Scheme and Rakesh Sukdeo of Bush Lot, died when their car crashed into a utility pole.
Chaitnarine Mangru, a friend of Sukdeo and Jienarine, rushed to help but came into contact with a live GPL wire and was electrocuted.
The carnage continued on Christmas Eve Day when Khemwattie Mohabir, 27, of Lot 70 Vriesland was struck by a speeding driver on the Vriesland WBD Public Road.
Christmas Day passed without incident but the deaths resumed on Boxing Day when Richard Anthony Giddings of Lot 1128 Block X Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, was killed after he crashed into a bridge at Belle Vue, West Coast Demerara.
A day later Cindy Singh, 24, of Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara succumbed after the car she was in crashed into a utility pole at Tempe, West Coast Berbice.

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