Another date has been set for the trail into the case of the bus driver charged in the 2009 fatal Llandovery crash, when the matter was called up in the St Ann Circuit Court on Monday, January 30.
Charged with eight counts of causing death by dangerous driving, is Martin Clarke.
The crash which involved two mini buses which plied the Ocho Rios to Brown’s Town route, claimed the lives of eight persons including that of the driver of one of the buses. A ninth person from the crash died months later in hospital.
Clarke who was the driver of the other bus was subsequently charged. When Clarke appeared in court on Tuesday, his attorney, Peter Champagnie was absent, due to his involvement in a case before the Supreme Court.
The trial into the matter was delayed in last term’s sitting of the Circuit and was to be tried on Monday.
Since the trial didn’t come to fruition, high court judge Georgiana Fraser informed Clarke that his attorney, Mr Champagnie, is to be notified for the next trial date which is set for February 15.
Clarke had his bail extended by Judge Fraser.
The deadly crash occurred along the Llandovery main road on November 30, 2009. According to the police, the crash occurred at approximately 9 p.m. when two mini buses, which were travelling in opposite directions collided.
One of the ill-fated buses, that being driven by Clarke was heading towards Ocho Rios, while the other was headed to Montego Bay. Both buses overturned on impact and flipped several times before crashing into an embankment.
Several passengers were flung from both vehicles, while others were trapped in the wreckage.
Seven others succumbed to their injuries in hospital, while one of them died several weeks after the crash. It was at the preliminary examination hearing into the crash in July 2011, that it was revealed that a ninth person had died from injuries received in the accident around six months after the incident.
The accused driver, Clarke, was at the time among those admitted to hospital.
According to the investigating officer in the case, Clarke was not charged in relation to the ninth person that died months after the accident, but was only charged with the eight.
