A Herstelling drunk driver accused of killing pedestrian Stephen Bishop, 51, of East La Penitence, Georgetown pleaded not guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and was granted $1 million bail for that offence and $10,000 for driving under the influence when he appeared in the Diamond Magistrate Court, East Bank Demerara on Wednesday.
Shivendra Ramraj, 34, of Herstelling Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD) was the driver of motorcar PZZ 1621 which fatally hit Bishop on the Providence Public Road, EBD on Sunday, July 25, 2021.
Magistrate Judy Latchman, after granting Ramraj bail, adjourned the matter until August 20, 2021.
Bishop was the second pedestrian to die in a road accident within three days on the weekend. On Saturday, a car lost control and mowed down a man in a yard in De Willem on the West Coast of Demerara, and injuring another pedestrian. The man charged in that matter also pleaded not guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.
Meanwhile, according to a police press release on Sunday’s accident, the motorcar, being driven by Ramraj was proceeding south along the eastern carriageway, western driving lane of the said road, at a fast rate of speed when it is alleged by the driver that Bishop ran across the road into the path of his vehicle.
Police said the driver applied his brakes to avoid a collision but the front of his vehicle collided with Bishop who fell onto the road and sustained injuries to his body.
Bishop was picked up in an unconscious condition and placed into Ramraj’s motorcar and taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
A breathalyzer test was conducted on the driver and the first test read 151 micrograms with the second test reading 161 micrograms of alcohol in his breath.
Meanwhile, a post-mortem examination done on Bishop on Monday revealed that he died from multiple injuries.
