March 28, 2024
Ocho Rios, St. Ann. Jamaica
LATEST NEWS THE COURTS

Policewoman who owns bus in St Ann crash summoned to court

Picturevhvh 008

The police woman who owns the minibus that crashed killing five people in St Ann, is to go to court on July 5.The bus conductor, 36-year-old Rohan Robinson, who was driving the bus and who has been charged with five counts of manslaughter is also to reappear in court on that date.  He is out on $10 million bail.A source attached to the St Ann traffic police has indicated that the woman corporal was served a summons by the Transport Authority (TA).Following the crash, police said the policewoman would have been charged with aiding and abetting having no PPV insurance, and allowing the vehicle, a Golden Dragon minibus to be operated without a renewed road licence from the Transport Authority.Five passengers died and several others were injured in the crash on Friday, May 27.They are: 61-year-old Charles Jones, a bus driver of Mason Hall, St Mary; 43-year-old Kareen Johnson, school principal of Charles Town, Windsor Heights; 24-year-old Odain Latty, security guard of Mile End; 24-year-old Dorian Taylor, security guard of Mt Edgecombe, Runaway Bay and 27-year-old Kemar Minto, hotel worker of Roaring River, Steer Town, all of St Ann.The police reported that the bus was transporting passengers, including six students from Ocho Rios to Brown’s Town, when the drive shaft broke, causing the vehicle to overturn and slamming into an oncoming Toyota RAV4 sports utility vehicle.The designated driver of the minibus, Charles Jones, was numbered among the fatalities. The conductor, Rohan Robinson, who was reportedly driving the bus, was charged with five counts of manslaughter, having no driver’s licence, and no public passenger insurance.At the time of the crash, the Transport Ministry reported that the minibus was defective. The bus was being operated without a renewed road licence.A technical inspection of the wreckage revealed that the drive shaft of the bus had been converted to fit the engine, and had been welded instead of being properly secured with nuts and bolts.The welded areas reportedly showed signs of breaking over time, before giving way, leading to the crash.