| Tuschen fatal accident…By Fareeza HaniffMahendranauth Singh, 21, of 202 Industry Housing Scheme, was yesterday granted bail in the sum of $1.1 million, and had his licence suspended, after appearing before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court.Dead: Amisha AlliDead: Ricky Kumar SinghIt is alleged that Singh was the driver of the car which struck and killed 7-year-old Amisha Alli of Meten–Meer–Zorg, West Coast Demerara, and 9–year–old Ricky Kumar Persaud, of Parika, near Tuschen Market Road, East Bank Essequibo on August 16 last.Singh was also instructed by the magistrate to surrender his passport and to report to the Sparendaam Police Station every Friday at 16:00 hrs and every Monday at 9:00hrs.The young man, whom the court was told is a mechanic, was placed on $500,000 bail on each count of causing death, and $50,000 each for driving away after the accident occurred and for failing to render assistance at the scene.Singh was represented by Attorney–at– Law, Vic Puran, who told the court that his client had no previous cases in the court, including traffic. According to Puran, he was told by his client that on the day in question, there were a number of children on the Tuschen Public Road going north, while he (Singh) was travelling from West to East on the thoroughfare.Granted bail: Mahendranauth SinghPuran said the issue of the driver losing control of the car is non-existent but admitted that the accident did occur in a southern carriageway. Singh told his attorney that on the said day a group of children ran across the road.According to Puran, Singh had to maintain his course, because if he did not then eight children would have been struck down, so his client then decided to swerve in the southern direction to avoid a collision, where it was that the two children he struck ended up.Puran also argued that the allegation leveled against his client that he did not stop at the scene is dishonest, as Singh did stop at the scene and noticed that the head of one of the children (Amisha Alli) was severed, while the other child appeared to be already dead.However, according to Puran, his client was encouraged by his two passengers in the car to drive as a hostile crowd had gathered at the scene.The Attorney also said that the car which his client was driving has a bumper, which caused the child’s head to be severed, and not speeding.Puran argued in the court that the point of impact which is marked with an ‘X’ and circled, indicated that the accident occurred in the middle of the southern carriageway.To prove this to the police prosecutor, the matter was adjourned for at least 15 minutes for Puran and a traffic rank to visit the scene to observe the marked point of impact.This newspaper also visited the scene with the Attorney and the traffic rank.When the team returned to the court room, the traffic rank, who identified himself as Sunil Lall, told the magistrate that the point of impact was almost to the centre of the southern carriageway.Meanwhile, the police prosecutor objected to bail and told the court that Singh was driving at a rate of speed, and he was trying to escape, because he drove past the Leonora Police Station.According to the Prosecutor, taking this into consideration, bail should not be granted since the accused may not reappear in court.PROTEST ACTIONMeanwhile, as the court was in session, the dead children’s parents and other supporters staged a protest in front of the Magistrate’s Court, urging for justice to be served.A number of persons were observed holding up placards.A section of the crowd involved in the protest action. The dead girl’s father, Abdul Azeez called Andy, who is also the uncle of the boy, told this newspaper that the driver’s family never visited his home to offer condolences for what had occurred. He opined that they do not have any respect for the children.“They just knock them down like some dog and left them on the road… the way that I see my daughter’s body, it wasn’t pleasing to me at all and these people have no heart at all… they did not even say sorry,” the man said. |
