30th of June, 2022. Guyana, South America. GSA News
Last updated: June 30, 2022 at 12:30 pmAccording to a relative of the woman killed in the accident, a white car on the left side lane had slowed down and signaled the biker to cross the road when the fatal Mandela Avenue accident occurred yesterday afternoon, 29th of June, 2022 at around 3 PM.
According to the relative, it appears that the driver of the SUV, Ms. Mohamed, didn’t notice the white car slowing down, or she thought he was about to turn, or maybe the motorcycle was out of her range of vision. Nevertheless, the relative concedes that the rider of the motorcycle was wrong because he crossed on a pedestrian crossing, and further, vehicles are under no obligation to stop at that junction unless there is a clear case of pedestrians attempting to cross the road.
Apparently, the bike was coming out of a street and unto the Mandela Avenue Highway. It stayed for a few moments at the side of the road until the driver of the white car saw it and slowed down out of courtesy to let the bike pass. The biker then took the cue and ventured onto the road perhaps not seeing the SUV or assuming that it would also slow down – or perhaps underestimating its distance and speed.
Video footage shows the bike crossing the road on a pedestrian crossing when a vehicle driven by Ms. Mohamed slammed into it, pelting the occupants onto the road. The rider of the bike was Mr. Wendel Oudkerek. He sustained injuries. The pillion rider, Ms. Odessa Sam, was killed in the accident. She was a mother of five. (Watch Video on Facebook)
The Mohameds family, through its Facebook Page, Team Mohameds, issued a statement of condolences to the persons affected by the tragedy and their families. Part of it reads:
It does not matter the outcome of the investigations, we remain resolute with the dependents and loved ones and will support them in this time of overwhelming grief.
Team Guyana, South America wishes to advise motorists to observe the traffic behind them and flag down vehicles at the back when doing courtesy stops to facilitate persons and vehicles crossing the road — as these actions, albeit with good intentions, could prove disastrous if not done the right way. Further, if you are crossing the road and a vehicle gives you a break to cross, observe the other vehicles coming behind it and wait for them to stop also before crossing.
