Drunk driver kills three

Pandemonium broke out in a closely knit, family-oriented Berbice community last night after a “reckless” 18-year-old driver, Nakash Persaud, said to be in an intoxicated state, struck down and killed two sisters and their niece. The accident also left two in a critical state. Those killed were sisters Tabithia Latoya Bagot, 19, and Wanita Bagot, 16 who only completed her CXC on Wednesday and their three-year-old niece Shemaine Cort. They were going home on their bicycles when they were hit from behind by the speeding Grey Toyota Spacio, PPP 5482, that was heading further up the Corentyne. Delroy Parks, 28, of Cromarty Village, Corentyne, was also in the path of the speeding driver. He, too, was riding his bicycle on the road when he was hit. That was not the end. The driver continued along his merry way, and hit down another person along the Number 35 Village Public Road, two villages away from Philippi. He was eventually intercepted by police in the vicinity of Number 56 Village after a high speed chase. Irate residents in that area came out and trashed his vehicle. Matthew McBean, 19, of Number 35 Village, a student of the University of Guyana Berbice Campus (UGBC) was another victim. He was rushed to the Port Mourant Hospital and then to the New Amsterdam Hospital where up to press time, he was in a critical state. The incident occurred around 18:30 hrs. The vehicle is registered in the name of Lakehram Persaud, of Lot 121, Number 51 Village, Corentyne. Eye witnesses said that the driver was swerving erratically when he hit his first victim, 26-year-old  Elroy Park at Kilmarnach. Up to press time he was in the Port Mourant Hospital and in a critical state. The “drunk” driver did not stop. He continued for another three and a half miles to a peaceful and quiet community, Phillipi Farm, Corentyne. There he killed the two sisters and their niece. The trio was reportedly leaving a nearby shop where they had purchased some cellular phone cards and were just metres from their home. Even then Persaud did not stop. He continued in his dangerous driving and also injured another Berbician four villages east of Phillipi Farm. That was when Matthew McBean was hit.  McBean is also said to have sustained injuries to the head and has lost a few of his teeth. “I was the first person who saw the silver vehicle coming into me and when the vehicle come and knocked me, I lost away,” Parks said. He was on the way to a wake on his bicycle. He received head injuries. At Philippi Farm a resident said, “He hit this child first, then he tried to run away and then he hit those girls…and then the boy.” The girls’ uncle, Ewart Bagot, said that he heard the loud impact and came outside to see his nieces lying on the road. “I walked across and saw the car coming…and it just hit the three girls.” They were pronounced dead-on-arrival at the New Amsterdam Hospital.  Residents of the area were outraged at the driver’s actions and urged the police to make sure justice is served in this case. Latoya was employed with Blue Sky Communications at Tain, Corentyne, while Wonita was a Fifth Form student of the Lower Corentyne Secondary School. They leave to mourn their parents Angela Bagot and Warren Methford, as well as their brother Nigel Cort; while Shemaine leaves to mourn her parents, Lindon Cort and Chandrawattie Sundar.