BELIZE CITY, Wed. May 4, 2017–The court “slammed the brakes” on the efforts of a young bank employee to learn to drive his late-model Mitsubishi Endeavor 2007 SUV, because he was involved in a road traffic accident that resulted in one fatality and injuries to several persons last Monday, May 1.
Darrel Jackson, 23, and his attorney, Dickie Bradley, appeared in the # 8 Magistrate’s Court, located on North Front Street, before Magistrate Stephanie Gillett, who read to Jackson, charges of manslaughter by negligence, causing death by careless conduct for the death of 7-month-old Esmay Ferguson, driving a motor vehicle without due care and attention and driving a motor vehicle in contravention of the Learner’s Permit.
Magistrate Gillett explained to Jackson, a resident of 8240 Ivy Street, that the court would not take a plea from him because the offences for which he is charged will be heard in the Supreme Court.
There was no objection from the court prosecutor to the granting of bail to Jackson, and Magistrate Gillett released him on a bail of $5,000 plus one surety of the same amount. In addition to bail conditions, Magistrate Gillett imposed the condition that Jackson is not to obtain a Learner’s Permit for the duration of his case, and he is not to communicate with any of the prosecution’s witnesses in the case.
Jackson was ordered to check with the Clerk of Courts to find out to which Magistrate his case is assigned when he returns to court on August 3.
On Monday, May 1, Jackson was driving his vehicle on the George Price Highway from Belize City towards Belmopan. Reportedly, nine persons (adults and children) were traveling in the vehicle, but when they reached Mile 9, Jackson lost control of the SUV and it overturned.
Several of the passengers sustained various degrees of injury, but a seven-month-old infant, Esmay Ferguson, said to be a relative of Jackson, lost her life. Most of the injured persons were treated and released from the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, except two whose conditions were described yesterday, Tuesday, as “serious.”