A minibus driver was remanded to prison yesterday after being charged with the vehicular death of a man following an accident at the junction of Lamaha and Camp Road last Thursday.
Eglan McKlenon, 51, of Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara, was not required to enter a plea to the indictable charge of causing death by dangerous driving when it was read to him by Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
It is alleged that on August 27, McKlenon drove minibus BJJ 9127 in a manner dangerous to the public, resulting in an accident that caused the death of 40-year-old Steve Abel of Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara.
McKlenon, who was unrepresented in court, stated that at about 11pm he had just dropped off a policeman on Lamaha Street, and was proceeding in an eastern direction along the road when he observed three motor cyclist, including Abel speeding in a northern direction along Camp Road. He said that he slowed his bus, which had several passengers at the time and had attempted to turn into Camp Road when he observed that Abel had over took a car and had lost control over his motor cycle resulting in him colliding with the right rear of his bus.
He said that the force that Abel had collided with sent him crashing through the rear windscreen, hitting a passenger who was seated at the backseat next to the window in his face.
He said that the force also caused the bus to tilt on two wheels which resulted in a rear wheel being punctured. Abel then slid out of the bus and collapsed on the road while the bus wobbled into the parapet.
McKlenon went on to say that he tried to call the ambulance and the police but that he was not getting through to them. Abel who was lying face down on the road was taken to the hospital where he later died while McKlenon was arrested and taken to the police station where he was charged.
However, Sergeant Kevin London stated that on the day in question at about 11:15pm, McKlenon was speeding in his bus, east along Lamaha Street, approaching Camp Road while a traffic light was flashing red. London said McKlenon failed to stop at the intersection when Abel, who was the rider of motorcycle CF3211, was proceeding north along Camp Road on the western carriage way collided with the right side rear of the minibus. He said that the collision caused Abel to be thrown off the bike and launched him headlong into the right rear side window of the bus, hitting a passenger who was sitting at the right backseat of the bus before falling to the ground. London noted that the pillion rider of Abel’s motor cycle also fell off the bike and was injured.
He said that the passenger, 18-year-old Luke Fordyce of Sophia, who sustained injured to his face as a result of the broken glass and the hit from Abel is currently in the Intensive Care Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital. While, 20-year-old Javon Rocke, who was the pillion rider on Abel’s bike, was admitted in the Male Open Ward of the hospital. The magistrate subsequently ordered that McKlenon be remanded to prison and that he appear back in court on September 7.
