The trial into a fatal crash that claimed the lives of eight people in Llandovery, St. Ann in 2009 was once again delayed when the matter was called up in the St Ann Circuit Court on Thursday, October 27.
The crash, one of the most deadly in St Ann, happened over six years ago, involved two mini buses that plied the Ocho Rios to Brown’s Town route. Eight people including the driver of one of the public passenger buses were killed.
Police later charged the other bus driver, Martin Clarke with ten counts of causing death by dangerous driving.
When Clarke appeared in court on Thursday, his attorney, Peter Champagnie was absent, due to his involvement in a trial before the Supreme Court.
The crown prosecutor also indicated that the case cannot be tried before this sitting of the Circuit Court due to other matters already set for trial to be commenced.
A mention of Tuesday, November 1 was set in the case for a trial date to be set in the next sitting of the Circuit Court, next year.
Clarke had his bail extended by High Court Judge Viviene Harris.
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 was being driven by Martin Carter 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.
Among the dead was 34-year-old Gregory Davis, who was driving one of the ill-fated buses. Others who died included 27-year-old Ricardo Coleman and his sister, 17-year-old Christina Coleman, both of Kingston; 52-year-old Noel Brown of Hampton, Runaway Bay; 24-year-old Timothy Anderson of Discovery Bay; 20-year-old Deepak Keshwani of St. Ann’s Bay; 65-year-old Samellia Newell of Runaway Bay; 33-year-old hairdresser, Andrene Nugent of Sturge Town – all in St Ann.
The accused driver, Martin Clarke, was at the time among those admitted to hospital.
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.
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 counts.
