The truck driver who allegedly crashed into the lamp pole just before a catastrophic fire gutted Royal Castle, Auto Supplies and Mohammed's last Thursday was granted bail following an application in the High Court yesterday after he made a court appearance.
Justice Jainarayan Singh, Jr. granted Krishnadat Singh of 36 Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara, bail in the sum of $75,000 following an application by his attorney, Senior Counsel Rex McKay.
The accused had appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Juliet Holder-Allen yesterday afternoon facing separate charges of dangerous driving and failing to report the accident to police within 24 hours.
Singh denied both charges and was initially refused bail and remanded to prison by the Chief Magistrate. The matter is set to continue on November 24.
According to the first charge, the accused drove his motor lorry with trailer in a dangerous manner to the public and the second charge said that damage was done to a Guyana Power & Light lamp pole and the accident was not reported by Singh within 24 hours.
According to reports, Singh, an employee of John Fernandes Ltd, crashed into a utility pole and the fire erupted shortly after.
The pole reportedly fell and some of the electrical wires started to spark. A power outage is said to have occurred immediately after Singh hit the pole.
The blaze started at the back of the Royal Castle restaurant on Hadfield Street and spread across to the nearby Auto Supplies Company and Mohammed's Jewellery & Gift Shop which is behind Royal Castle on Lombard Street.