DEATH BY DANGEROUS DRIVING

Haydee Paul, 28, and her daughters Akasha, eight, and Shakira, seven, were on their way home from a visit to the Central Market on February 24, when the officer’s car, driven west along the highway mounted the sidewalk and knocked down six people, killing Paul and her two daughters.

Those who survived the accident are Amanda Lalla alias “roti-woman”, Abigail Assing and Ryan “Dhal” Rampersad. Since the incident, police have come under criticism for the length of time it took for investigations to be completed and the case file sent to the DPP.

Among those asking questions over the length of time it took for charges to be laid was Director of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) Gillian Lucky.

Only on Wednesday, accident survivor Assing was again asking why the delay in bringing charges against the policeman.

Police officers involved in the investigation, visited Gaspard’s office on Monday to get advice from the Senior Counsel and returned yesterday having completed certain tasks set by DPP Gaspard.

Yesterday’s meeting with the DPP began at about 2 pm with the arrival to Gaspard’s Richmond Street, Port-of-Spain office of Acting Superintendent Moses Charles and current Acting Commissioner of Police Mervyn Richardson (incumbent Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams is out of the country).

After an extensive perusal of the case file by the DPP, at about 3.50 pm, Gaspard gave instructions for the charges to be laid.

No instructions were given to charge the police officer regarding injuries suffered by the three survivors.

Newsday was told that further investigations need to be done before the DPP will proceed in this aspect of the case.

Speaking after the meeting, DPP Gaspard confirmed to Newsday that he has instructed that three charges be laid against the driver of the vehicle involved in the Sea Lots accident.

“I have instructed the police to charge the suspect who reportedly drove the vehicle involved in the accident. I did so based on the information provided to me. I instructed the police that the suspect be charged with three counts of causing death by dangerous driving,” Gaspard said.

Asked his opinion on why it took 57 days before the police could approach him with a properly completed case file, DPP Gaspard said he would make no further comment on the issue.

When Newsday visited Sea Lots yesterday with news of the DPP’s instructions that the policeman be charged, residents expressed relief.

Paul’s mother Carol Gonzales said she is relieved on hearing the news.

“This news is a sign from God who has heard my prayers and given me an answer. Nothing that I say or nothing that they do will bring back my daughter and grandchildren and I accept that.”“But the length of time they took...you couldn’t help but get frustrated as doubts and feelings of a cover up began to form,” Gonzales said.

“Now that I have heard that charges are to be laid, I can breathe a sigh of relief. I know the matter still has to come before the courts. I know there ought to have been more charges as that man also caused serious injuries to three other persons. But right now, I am just very relieved,” she said.

Gonzales noted that she hopes to see the man face to face when he appears before a Port-of-Spain Magistrate.

She hopes he does not get preferential treatment by police such as being allowed to cover his face from the public and the media.

Sea Lots spokesman Kenroy Dopwell said the hurt and pain left by that accident is still lingering but the community can feel a sense of relief that criminal charges are to be laid.

“This is a big step for us. The way investigators moved...taking their dandy time plus revelations that blood samples were spoiled, we thought this was a case that would have been swept under the rug and leave us in Sea Lots with no sense of justice. But, I am glad this

was not the case,” Dopwell said.

“It shows the police are indeed doing their jobs and that the residents of Sea Lots will indeed be getting some measure of justice. It is a start. There ought to be other charges because other persons were injured. But it is a start. We will take it as a blessing. We are relieved to know that we are being treated in a somewhat fair manner as promised,” Dopwell said.

Attempts to reach Acting Commissioner of Police Richardson yesterday proved futile.

Police sources said that Acting Superintendent Charles yesterday began the necessary paperwork to charge the suspect.

However, up to press time, no movements were made to secure the suspect, nor was it reported that the suspect had surrendered himself to the police. Since the accident, the Sea Lots residents have agreed to several measures aimed at

making crossing the highway safer.

Rampersad is still warded at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he is said to be in a serious but stable condition.

His mother Pearl James has explained that the 22-year-old father of two is 98 percent paralysed, however, she was still holding out hope that he would recover.