Deadly Orangestein accident: Police say speeding motorcycle breached double lines

The Friday morning accident that took the lives of a young father and son, and left the mother hospitalised, was caused after the motorcycle on which the victims were travelling breached the yellow double lines on the Orangestein Public Road, East Bank Essequibo, and crashed into a truck, the Guyana Police Force said.

At the time of the accident, which occurred at about 11:00h, 22-year-old Krishna Persaud called Mark of Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara, was driving the motorcycle, CM 5492, with his 19-year-old partner and their four-month-old child, Luke Persaud, as pillion riders.

Based on police reports, a truck, Motor Lorry GZZ 5068, was driving out of a parking lot of a Shopping Mall situated on the southern parapet along the public road.

A canter, that was proceeding west along the southern side of the road, stopped to allow the truck to drive across and turn onto the northern side of the road.

However, in the process of doing so, police say “…the motorcycle, which was proceeding west along the southern side of the said road at an alleged fast rate of speed, overtook the stationary motor lorry on the solid double yellow lines, ended up on the northern side of the road and collided with the right-side front portion of Motor Lorry GZZ 5068.”

As a result of the collision, the motorcyclist and pillion riders fell onto the road surface and sustained injuries about their bodies. They were picked up in an unconscious condition and taken to the De Kinderen Regional Hospital, where Krishna Persaud and his four-month-old child, Luke Persaud, were pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor on duty.

The 19-year-old female later regained consciousness and was admitted to the female surgical ward, suffering from head and other injuries. Her condition is regarded as stable.

The bodies of the deceased are presently lying at the Ezekiel Funeral Home awaiting post-mortem examinations.

Meanwhile, the driver of the motor lorry, a 27-year-old resident of Covent Garden, East Bank Demerara, is in police custody assisting with investigations. Police say a breathalyser test was conducted on the driver of the motor lorryand no trace of alcohol was detected.

CCTV footage was seen and obtained as investigations are ongoing.

The truck involved in the crash is a property of the Tropical Orchard Products Company Limited (TOPCO), which said in a statement on Friday that it is cooperating fully with the Guyana Police Force and the relevant authorities.