A driver was remanded to prison on Friday after being charged in connection with the fatal accident involving 16-year-old Kimberley Jones of Bel Air Village.
Paul Mahabal, 33, a businessman from Montrose, East Coast Demerara (ECD), appeared before Magistrate Michelle Matthias at the Weldaad Magistrates’ Court.
Mahabal faces two charges: failing to render assistance and failing to stop following the incident on July 8, 2025. He pleaded not guilty to both charges.
Police Prosecutor Garfield Edwards opposed bail, citing Mahabal’s failure to stop and assist Jones after the collision, as well as his failure to report the incident at nearby police stations. Edwards also described him as a flight risk.
According to police reports, on the evening of July 8, 2025, Jones was crossing the Bel Air Public Road when motorcar PAF 2130, driven by Mahabal, struck her. The impact threw her approximately 74 feet.
Public-spirited citizens rushed Jones to the Fort Wellington Public Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. She had sustained a broken neck and head injuries. Following the completion of the autopsy, Mahabal is expected to be charged with causing death by dangerous driving.
