Nurse in dangerous driving case gets new date

WESTERN BUREAU:

Dana Minto, the nurse charged with causing death by dangerous driving following a collision, which claimed the lives of two persons one year ago, will have to wait until November 9 for her committal hearing, following which her case will be transferred to the St James Circuit Court.

While the committal hearing was expected to be held yesterday in the St James Parish Court, presiding judge Sandria Wong-Small gave Minto the new date after the court was told that the prosecution needed more time to provide Minto's defence team with the document bundle.

It was also disclosed that the prosecution had submitted an application for that extension of time and that the bundle should be provided to the defence by October 5.

"You are to return to court in these matters on November 9, and your bail is extended until then," Wong-Small told Minto. "The document bundle is to be served on or before October 5, and the application to extend the time [to prepare for the committal hearing] is granted."

Minto was charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, following an incident on November 13, 2017, when the Toyota Ipsum all-purpose vehicle she was driving struck four persons along Felicity Road in Glendevon, St James. It is alleged that she was attempting to overtake another vehicle when the accident occurred.

Fifteen-year-old Shantae Rose, a grade 10 student of Green Pond High School in the parish, and 52-year-old Franklin Hylton were killed on the spot. Rose's mother and sister, who were also struck by the vehicle, both suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were hospitalised.

It was also reported that Minto jumped out of her vehicle and fled the scene of the collision, though she later turned herself into the authorities and was subsequently charged.