State closes case in vehicular manslaughter trial

THE STATE closed its case against a Couva man on trial for vehicular manslaughter on Thursday. After leading the evidence of seven witnesses, prosecutors Nalini Singh and Marissa Gomez told the jury that the State had come to the end of its case. Accused David Sultan, also called Hurricane, is before Justice Anthony Carmona at the Port-of-Spain Third Criminal Court charged with the unlawful killing of Dhanmatie Moonasar, who died in a vehicular accident on the night of July 5, 1998.  The car was driven by Sultan.

According to the evidence led by the State, Sultan was giving Moonasar and three of her friends, Serena Mahabir, Parbatie Ram-karan and Lutchmin John, a lift to Chaguanas.  Moonasar and Ram-karan were in the front passenger seat. According to the evidence, Sultan was about to turn onto the Chaguanas Main Road after exiting the Solomon Hochoy Highway and ended up on the west-bound lane where he faced oncoming traffic. He crashed into three cars before colliding with a chennette tree, crashing through a gate and into the porch of a house. All the occupants of the car, except Moonasar, survived. A post- mortem report revealed she died as a result of a severed brain stem. Sultan, of Orange Grove, Couva, is being represented by attorneys Dr Charles Seepersad and Terrence Davis. The trial continues on Monday.