A 27-year-old police corporal has been placed under close arrest as investigations continue into the July 4 collision at the intersection of Macaw Road and Lamaha Street, Georgetown, which claimed the life of Kevin London.
The Guyana Police Force issued a statement on the incident yesterday, five days after London died from his injuries and more than a week after the crash occurred. The statement from the police also came on the same day a report appeared in Kiskadee Watch on the accident.
In its release, police identified the driver of one of the vehicles as a police corporal from Rosignol, West Coast Berbice. The officer was driving motor car PAE 8323, while the other vehicle, motor car PAF 3925, was being driven by Kevin London, 38, of Guyhoc Park Gardens, Georgetown.
According to the police, preliminary investigations indicate that at about 5 am on July 4, the police corporal was proceeding north along Macaw Road while London was travelling west along Lamaha Street. As both vehicles approached the intersection, it is alleged that both drivers failed to stop before entering the junction, resulting in the front of the police vehicle colliding with the left centre of London’s vehicle.
London sustained injuries about his body and was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. He succumbed to his injuries on July 7 while receiving treatment.
Police said London’s body remains at the Georgetown Public Hospital mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination.
The force also said CCTV cameras in the area were reviewed as part of the investigation. A breathalyser test conducted on the police corporal found no trace of alcohol in his breath. The officer remains under close arrest while investigations continue.
The police statement came after London’s father, George London, criticised the handling of the investigation and said the family had received little information following the collision.
Speaking to Kiskadee Watch on Saturday, George London said his son died after undergoing surgery for what doctors described as catastrophic head injuries, including a fractured skull, extensive brain damage and severe swelling.
He had questioned the pace of the investigation and alleged that senior officers appeared to have been unaware of the incident until the family raised the matter with the Guyana Police Force’s leadership.
According to George London, the family subsequently met with Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken, who referred the matter to Traffic Chief Mahendra Singh. He said they were informed that senior traffic officers had not yet been briefed on the collision.
The father had also expressed concern about whether the investigation had been properly conducted, including the administration of a breathalyser test, stating that the family had not received any official information from investigators.
He further said that based on information received from public-spirited citizens, it took approximately three hours for an ambulance to arrive at the scene and transport his son to hospital.
The Traffic Chief had told Kiskadee Watch that the investigation remained active after the collision, which was initially treated as a serious accident before being reclassified as a fatal accident following London’s death.
Singh said police had been maintaining contact with the family and that once the investigation is completed, the file will be submitted for legal advice to determine whether criminal charges should be instituted.
“Everything will be done to ensure that justice is served in a fair way,” Singh had said.
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