Businesswoman Samantha Reid yesterday denied drunk driving in a Fairfield accident on Friday that left a motorist in a serious condition.
The family of 26-year-old Prakash Persaud, called “Baby”, says his condition is worsening as they renewed calls for justice following Friday’s road accident at Fairfield, Mahaica, which left him critically injured.
In an update provided yesterday, relatives said Persaud remains unable to speak or move and continues to require oxygen and close medical monitoring.
“Every day he getting worse, worse, every single day,” a relative said, explaining that family members have had to remain close to the hospital while his condition remains serious.
According to the family, Persaud appears to understand when spoken to but is unable to respond verbally. They said he is receiving blood and remains connected to a urine bag, heart monitor and oxygen, while his body has become swollen.
The family also disputed claims that Persaud is stable.
“He can’t move and he just one way all the time. When you ask, he can’t talk, but he understand what you saying,” the relative said.
Persaud was reportedly heading to a shop to purchase a bottle of water when the accident occurred.
The family is now calling for authorities to provide answers and ensure that the investigation is properly handled.
“We need them to come out and give us justice. It looking very serious. We need some kind of justice,” the relative said.
The latest update comes amid allegations by Persaud’s relatives that they were treated differently from the driver involved in the accident during the police investigation.
A family member alleged that while they were at the police station in connection with measurements being taken at the accident scene, they were prevented from entering while the driver, Samantha Reid, remained in her vehicle.
The family member said an attempt was made to record the interaction while at the scene of the accident but alleged that police intervened and stopped the recording.
They also questioned why Reid was not detained for a longer period following the accident, while raising concerns about information they said they had received regarding the results of a breathalyser test.
Denied
Those concerns contrast with a statement issued by Reid yesterday, in which she denied consuming alcohol and said the breathalyser results confirmed that she had not been drinking.
Reid, President of the Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chief Executive Officer of Sawa Investment Inc., said the accident occurred at approximately 5:30 a.m. on Friday, August 21, along the Fairfield Village Public Road, Mahaica.
According to Reid, she was travelling towards Georgetown when the young man riding an electric cycle swerved into the path of her vehicle, resulting in the collision.
She said Persaud was immediately transported to hospital and remains alive and in a stable condition, rejecting social media reports that he had died.
Reid also said she was taken into custody at the Mahaicony Police Station following the accident, cooperated fully with investigators and underwent a breathalyser test.
“Ms. Reid had not consumed any alcohol and the results of the breathalyser test confirmed this,” the statement said.
She further rejected claims that she was driving while intoxicated and expressed concern for Persaud’s wellbeing, wishing him a full and speedy recovery.
However, Persaud’s family maintains that his condition is far more serious than described in Reid’s statement.
Traffic Chief Mahendra Singh had earlier told Kiskadee Watch that he would personally examine the investigation because of what he described as apparent “inconsistencies” surrounding the handling of the matter.
Singh confirmed that the driver involved was Reid, who was driving a black, fully tinted 4×4 pickup bearing registration number PAL 7721 when it reportedly collided with Persaud, who was riding an electric scooter.
He said Reid was placed on $100,000 cash bail pending further investigations and confirmed that a breathalyser test had been conducted, with the result being below the prescribed alcohol limit.
“I am looking into this matter myself because there seemingly has some inconsistencies around it and there will be no inconsistencies when I am the Traffic Chief,” Singh told Kiskadee Watch.
Persaud, a Providence, East Bank Demerara resident, works with his brother in Mahaica.
His brother, Sheiks Satteur, previously told Kiskadee Watch that the family went to the Mahaicony Hospital at around 5 p.m. on Friday after learning that Persaud had been struck.
He alleged that relatives initially faced difficulty obtaining information about the accident and questioned how the matter was handled at the scene.
An initial X-ray at Mahaicony Hospital reportedly showed no broken bones, and the family was advised to take Persaud to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation for a CT scan.
According to Satteur, the scan later revealed a broken collarbone, internal bleeding and other serious injuries, resulting in Persaud undergoing emergency surgery.
At the time, Satteur said his brother could not breathe on his own and was receiving treatment in the Emergency Department.
The family has also raised concerns about the accident scene, alleging that the exact location where Persaud was struck was not properly marked.
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