Attorney General Anil Nandlall SC has written to the driver who crashed into the Eccles roundabout on September 15 demanding that he pay $2.1m for the repairs or face legal action.
In recent weeks, the government has said that citizens will be made to recompense the state for the cost of damage that they incur.
The Attorney General’s Chambers released a letter dated yesterday to the driver of the vehicle in question, Troy Humphrey, making the demand. The letter stated that Humphrey drove recklessly, dangerously, and negligently, causing damage to public property and injury to passengers.
“As a result of your reckless, dangerous and negligent driving, as well as your complete disregard for other road users, you caused damage to the Water Fountain and other parts of the Roundabout and injuries to yourself and passengers, namely, Fulisa Burnette and Phillip Jeffrey, both of whom were rendered unconscious resulting from the impact of the collision of your motor vehicle PAB 805 into the Roundabout,” the letter stated.
The legal document, which was penned by Nandlall on behalf of the government, notes that the government has already spent $2,100,000 on emergency repairs to the damage caused by the collision and demanded that Humphrey pay this sum within fourteen days. It cautioned that failure to pay the amount name will result in legal proceedings being instituted against Humphrey for recovery of the amount.
The letter said that the emergency repair work included mobilisation and demobilization, demolition of damaged sections and removal of debris from site; replacement of stone pavers, repairs to the fountain rails inclusive of tiling, supply and installation of stone tiles to the fountain’s interior, draining of the fountain and degreasing, cleaning of the fountain of oil and other contaminants; replacement of jet, pump repairs and electrical work among other tasks.
A statement from Nandlall yesterday said: “As part of a myriad of measures to address the wanton recklessness and negligence by road users and the resultant carnage, and destruction of public property, the State, including public corporations and statutory authorities will aggressively seek to recover compensation for damages and destruction done to public property.
“A similar approach will be adopted in relation to the destruction and damage to public property by whatever cause. Billions of dollars are spent annually to repair and reconstruct public property damaged and destroyed by unlawful and/or highly irresponsible conduct.
“Needless to say, this measure will be in addition to the institution of all relevant criminal charges disclosed resulting from investigations conducted by the Guyana Police Force”.
