A firewoman was on Tuesday placed before the courts for causing the death of a toddler almost five months ago in East Canje, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
Charged was 28-year-old firewoman Chandani Mohabir of East Canefield, East Canje, Berbice. She appeared at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Renita Singh on a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.
It is alleged that on December 23, at Cumberland Village, East Canje, she drove motor car PGG 278 in a dangerous manner, causing the death of Jasmine Ross.
Mohabir was not required to plead to the indictable charge. The prosecution did not object to bail and it was set at $400,000.
The case has been transferred to the Reliance Magistrate’s Court and will continue on June 2.
Even as Mohabir appeared in court, family members of the dead child and others who were injured in the accident were outside the courtroom protesting as they expressed displeasure at the pace of the investigation and the fact that she was released on bail.
Police had said that motor car PGG 278 was proceeding north along the western lane at a fast rate of speed when the driver lost control of the vehicle and it skidded onto the eastern lane, colliding with a motorcycle.
It was reported that on the day in question, 28-year-old firewoman Chandani Mohabir lost control of the vehicle in which there were several children, and crashed it into the motorcycle being operated by Marley Ross. Ross had his three-year-old daughter as the pillion rider.
Less than one week after the accident, Mohabir was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, placed on $100,000 bail and ordered to lodge her passport at the court by Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh.
However, she was not charged for causing death until Tuesday, almost five months after the incident.
The dead child’s father, Marley Ross, had been featured in sections of the media over the lack of justice or seemingly slow justice system.
On Friday, he took his concerns to President Dr Irfaan Ali, who was in New Amsterdam on an outreach.
At the time of the accident, Police had stated that 11-year-old Shavine Laundry, 10-year-old Shaveh Laundry, eight-year-old Javeer Blair, and five-year-old Shaniah Blair, who were in the car driven by the firewoman, were also injured.
On Tuesday there were no charges stemming from the injury to the children. Their mother, Sharron McDonald, also attended the court proceedings on Tuesday.
During the proceedings, she informed the court that there were children who were injured in the accident and the charge before that court does not reflect that.
Ross, on the other hand, told this publication that the bail is small compared to a $1.4M a Berbice contractor was placed on for allegedly driving into a crowd and killing an elderly man, also in East Canje.
McDonald said she might also have to approach higher authorities, noting that her 13-year-old daughter is still suffering from the accident and is unable to attend school. In fact, she said the girl is currently using diapers.
