Police cadet officer pushes road deaths to 50; APNU wants urgent govt action

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 21:01 by GxMedia

A police Cadet Officer was Sunday arrested in connection with the killing of the 48th person on Guyana”s roads for the year.

The dead man has been identified as 71-year old  Canerjit Sanichar of Zohra Street Better Hope, East Coast Demerara.

The police Cadet Officer was driving a motorcar in an easterly direction when he allegedly struck down the elderly man who was crossing the road at the time. The accident occurred on the Better Hope Public Road Public Road around 4:20 AM. 

The police officer has been arrested and was being held at the Sparendaam Police Station.
Sandchir was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

While the early Sunday morning mishap has pushed the country’s road death toll to 48, authorities say that figure might be much higher when latest weekend countrywide statistics are taken into account.

Thirty-eight persons have died on the roads for the corresponding period last year.

The opposition coalition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has, meanwhile, called for immediate action to stop the carnage on our roads in light of a 40 percent spike in road fatalities for the same period last year.

“APNU calls on the government of Guyana to adopt a serious posture regarding road safety. It is clear that the government’s lack of a coherent plan to deal with the carnage on our roads, the continued lack of crime fighting resources and a credible national strategy to fight violent crime, gun-running, narco-trafficking, trafficking in persons, are all clear signs of a security sector that is badly led in the person of (Home Affairs Minister) Mr. Clement James Rohee,” the party said.

APNU said the “alarming” “crisis” facing road safety should be severe enough to command the immediate attention of the administration of President Donald Ramotar.