Five bikers died in three days

Mar 27, 2024 News

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Kaieteur News – Five motorcyclists, two of whom were teenagers, lost their lives within the last three days due to accidents on the country’s roadways.

On Sunday, at about 07:30hrs, 26-year-old Dinesh Williams died after he lost control of his bike and rode in a trench along Hibernia Back Street, Essequibo Coast, Region Two.

Reports stated that he was on his way home, when he lost control of his motorcycle as he approached a turn in the street. The man was pinned in the water. It is believed that he drowned.

On Monday, around 01:50hrs, 17-year-old Karan Dhuman, lost control of his motorcycle along the Bush Lot Farm Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice, and crashed into a Guyana Power and Light (GPL) utility pole.

According to police, the speeding motorcyclist was proceeding west along the southern drive lane on the Bush Lot Farm Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice, when the driver lost control of his motorcycle and collided with a GPL utility pole, situated on the southern grass parapet.

Due to the impact, Dhuman was tossed off his motorcycle and fell onto the road.

He received injuries about his body. He was subsequently picked up by police and public-spirited citizens in an unconscious condition, and taken to the Port Mourant Public Hospital.

Dhuman was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

Also on Monday, between 03:40hrs and 06:00hrs, 18-year-old Azeez Gulab met his demise, when he lost control of his motorcycle at Wowetta Main Trail, North Rupununi, Region Nine.

The father of the decease alleged that his son (Gulab) was at Aranaputa Ground, liming with his friends as they watched football and drank alcohol.

The father claimed that his son then left the ground at about 03:00hrs on his motorcycle, proceeding east along the northern side of Wowetta Trail at an alleged fast rate when he lost control of the motorcycle and ‘ran off’ the Trail. In the process, he fell off his motorcycle and received injuries on his body.

The noise awoke the nearby villagers who discovered his motionless body lying next to a motorcycle.

Conal Anthony Husbands also lost his life on Monday around 06:15hrs after the motorcycle he was riding collided with a car, at the intersection of Cummings and Church Streets, Georgetown.

The motorcar which is owned by Ezraleen McLean was at the time being driven by Lee Lawrence Holder while Husbands was riding the motorcycle.

Police said that, “investigations revealed that Motorcar # PAF 3166 was proceeding north along the western drive lane of Cummings Street while Motorcycle # CM 2986 was proceeding east along the northern drive lane of Church Street, when as both vehicles approached the intersection of Cummings and Church Street, Motorcar # PAF 3166 failed to stop at the stop sign and collided with the motorcycle.”

Both vehicles sustained damage from the impact of the collision and the motorcyclist was flung some distance on the northern parapet of Church Street and received injuries about his body.

The man was picked up by EMT personnel in a semi-conscious condition and rushed to the GPHC, where he was examined by the doctors on duty. At about 13:00hrs, he succumbed to his injuries.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday 34-year-old Nigel Harvey, a resident of Lot 731 C Field Sophia, Georgetown, lost his life after the motorcycle he was riding collided with a bus. Both vehicles failed to stop at the intersection of Brickdam and Brummel Place, where there is a traffic light erected. At the time of the accident, the traffic light was not working.

The accident occurred at about 06:35hrs, police said while noting that it involved mini-bus #BWW 693 owned and driven by 70-year-old Keith Texeira-Livingstone, and motorcycle #CL 8444 owned and driven by Harvey.

Investigations are in progress.

In February, Kaieteur News reported that Guyana recorded a 76.8% increase in road fatalities in 2023, with the toll rising from 99 in 2022 to a staggering 175.

The surge has prompted urgent action from the Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, who is calling on citizens to exercise caution and prioritise safety on the roadways.

“We have had the situation with traffic and we have had an alarming increase in road traffic deaths,” Benn told reporters at a press conference.

Addressing the rise in fatal accidents, the minister stated that the primary contributing factor identified was speeding, with a 110% increase in fatalities, rising from 61 in 2022 to 128 last year. Minister Benn announced that the government is set to introduce e-ticketing for traffic violations to curb dangerous driving behaviours.

“We have been giving and we have to give out again helmets to motorcyclists. We have gotten just now a large number of clamps and we have to deal with people who are speeding,” Benn asserted.

A detailed analysis of the data reveals several troubling trends. Male drivers bore the brunt of the increase, experiencing a 79.2% rise in fatalities, while female fatalities increased by 64.7%. The age group most affected was 25-42 years old, comprising 43.4% of all fatalities. Additionally, fatal accidents involving motorcyclists saw a dramatic 166.7% increase. In an effort to address the rising road safety concerns, comprehensive driver education and training programmes will be implemented.

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• accidents, death, fatal, motorcyclist, tragic

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