Pres escort car was speeding, Granger extends condolences to victims

In a critical condition is Police Lance Corporal:Travis Fullington

There are conflicting reports coming out of the police circles as to if Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces David Granger was in his presidential convoy when the lead vehicle known as the ‘sweep car’ collided with another vehicle carrying four civilians and a female police rank attached to the Special Constabulary. BIG Smith Crime Watch stated in an earlier report that the president was not in any of the vehicles at the time of the accident. High ranking police sources are claiming that they cannot confirm if the president was in the convoy and or if the car which collided with the other car was actually escorting the president or on its way to escort the president.

One source indicated that President was being transported from his private residence at Pearl on the East Bank Demerara when the crash took place at 05:33:46 minuets on Tuesday morning.

This morning the Ministry of the Presidency issued a statement to the relatives and friends to the deceased persons. “His Excellency David Granger, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is saddened at the death of five persons following a tragic road accident on the Friendship Public Road, East Bank Demerara, this morning.” The ministry’s statement noted.

Dead Police Constable Rondell Barker who was driving the ‘sweep car’ at the time of the accident

It is being confirmed that although the sweep car is usually about three minutes ahead of the actual convoy mostly in congested areas, that distances as well as speed changes depending on the traffic situation.

In the case of Tuesday morning, the road was relatively clear and the convoy was moving at a “reasonable speed” according to sources close to the Presidential Security detail.

Further to that, a video has also surfaces which appeared to have been provided from a nearby CCTV camera which shows that indeed the sweep car was driving at a fast rate with flashing lights red and blue lights as well as headlights. and also into the lane of the other car. That video also showed that the car which the sweep car collided with did make attempts to pull to the shoulder of the road but the two vehicles nevertheless collided.

There is a practice where police vehicles with sirens on would often times seeks to utilize the entire road when escorting other vehicles and in most cases forcing other motorists off the road.

There is also a practice of some motorists who out-rightly display a disregard for sirens and emergency vehicles. Some would refuse to pull to the side of the road while others would just opt to reduce their speed as against coming to a dead stop to make way for the emergency vehicles.

Today’s accident claimed their lives of five persons including the driver of the police escort car while another rank is in a critical condition. President David Granger whose vehicle along with his security detail vehicles path were being cleared by the sweep care, stopped at the accident scene briefly before continuing their journey to the city.

The police investigations into this matter are ongoing.