Dear Editor,
While travelling home on October 25, I witnessed an accident between a bus and a car. Following the accident, the driver of the bus exited his vehicle and abused the driver of the car, a handicapped man. Looking to ensure that the handicapped man was not taken advantage of, I exited my own vehicle and placed myself between the bus driver and the handicapped man.
The events which took place during the event stated above have left me fearful for my safety, as well as that of the driver of the car. It is against this backdrop that I ask that you provide me space in your newspaper to make the public aware of what transpired.
What follows is an almost identical rendering of the statement which I made to police concerning the occurrence.
“…On the afternoon of October 25, 2016, at about 4:30 pm, I was driving on the East Bank road, heading south on the western carriageway of the road in the lane designated by police to southbound traffic during the daily rush hour.
As I was in front of the Harbour Bridge Mall, a mini bus, licence plate # BNN 3629, which was in the lane to my right, and was northbound, bumped into the back of a car which was in front of him. There was no obvious damage to either vehicle, and I noticed a child, aged two or three in the car.
The traffic in my lane was moving very slowly, and I chose to stop out of concern for the child in the car. As I remained in my vehicle, I observed the driver of the mini bus, licence plate # BNN 3629, exit his vehicle, and begin to verbally abuse the driver of the car in front of him, which he had just bumped into. I then saw him pull back his right hand, and punch the driver of the car, through the open window of the car, in his face. The driver of the car was still sitting in his car when he was hit, and the child, who was sitting in the front seat of the car, was now crying. At this point, I exited my vehicle, and stood between the obviously irate mini bus driver, and the assaulted driver of the car.
The irate mini bus driver continued to try to get to the driver of the car which he had bumped into, and eventually begun threatening both myself, and the driver of the car he had bumped into. He told me that ‘I must stay out of this’, and asked if I knew who he was. He also told me that he works at the Ministry of the Presidency. He further said that he could do as he likes, and would ‘deal with me.’
A large crowd of people had gathered by this time, and the assaulted driver finally came out of the car. Seeing the driver of the car exit his vehicle, the mini bus driver, again, advanced toward him.
Upon the driver’s exiting the vehicle, I immediately noticed that the driver was handicapped; missing his entire left arm. I again stood between the irate bus driver, and the handicapped driver of the car. The bus driver again, to me, threatened harm if I did not get out of his way.
I was afraid, but was determined not to allow the irate bus driver to further assault the handicapped man. I stated my name, explained that my office was at the Harbour Bridge Mall, and that I was not afraid of him. Someone eventually came and collected the frightened child from the car, and took her/him to safety. Looking for assistance in disarming the situation, I beckoned to the police officers who were directing traffic at the Harbour Bridge for help. I then noticed that the only passenger of the mini bus appeared to be a uniformed officer of the Guyana Defence Force (“GDF”). I immediately begged him for help.
He continued, however, to sit in the bus, and never made any attempt to call off, or subdue the irate driver. His refusal to help the disabled man seemed to embolden the irate driver, who again advanced toward the handicapped driver. Again, I was forced to stand between them in an effort to protect him. At this time, police officers had arrived, and I finally began to feel safe.
The GDF officer eventually emerged from the mini bus, and proceeded to defend the actions of the irate driver to the police, saying that the car had hit the bus. The GDF officer then claimed that he sat in the vehicle, and did not render any assistance because he could not open his door. If this is the case, it is interesting to wonder how he was able to exit the bus after the police arrived. The irate driver of the mini bus, now supported by the GDF officer, continued to abuse the handicapped driver.
At this point, I undertook to make a full statement of this incident to the police, and any other relevant official. This was in an effort to ensure that the handicapped driver of the car was not further taken advantage of.
The police took the two parties to the Providence Police Station, and I followed to ensure that the driver of the car was okay. I then introduced myself to the handicapped driver, and found out that his name was Mr. Roger Gautier.
I have never witnessed road rage before today. This was road rage. It was shocking. It was equally shocking to see a uniformed GDF officer allow his driver to assault and abuse a person, a handicapped person at that. Our men and women in uniform have a special obligation to do the right thing, and set a good example. This officer did not, and in so failing to do, in my mind, hurt the credibility of the GDF, and our President, himself a retired Brigadier General.
It is my hope that with this statement, given by myself as a true testament of what transpired, the driver of the car, who is a handicapped person, gets justice, and that the irate driver is held accountable for assault. I also believe that the uniformed GDF officer, who intentionally omitted to intervene, and by so doing condoned the actions described above, is equally guilty of assault, and should also be penalised in a fitting manner.”
Yours faithfully,
Paul Fraser
