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MoBay nurse to stand trial in circuit court

Published:Friday | May 31, 2019 | 12:09 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

Dana Minto, the St James nurse charged with causing death by dangerous driving following a vehicular accident which resulted in the deaths of two persons in 2017, has been committed to stand trial in the St James Circuit Court on September 20.

Minto remained composed as she received the trial date from presiding judge Natalie Creary-Dixon during her long-awaited committal hearing in the St James Parish Court on Wednesday. The hearing, which had been postponed eight times, starting on September 21, 2018, was held to determine whether Minto’s case would be tried in the circuit court or the St James Parish Court.

In handing down her ruling, Creary-Dixon referred to evidence previously submitted from the accident reconstruction report about the November 13, 2017 incident, in which 15-year-old Shantae Rose and 52-year-old Franklin Hylton lost their lives while standing along Felicity Road in Glendevon, St James.

accident report

“In this matter, there must have been prima facie evidence (evidence accepted as correct until proven otherwise) of Ms Minto driving in such a manner as to create an obvious risk to persons and property. I note that the accident report said she went through the intersection before she hit a drainage bump, which led to the deaths of the two persons,” said Creary-Dixon.

“I think all of this could be fleshed out at trial, and so I believe this matter should be committed to the circuit court. The order for committal is granted,” added Creary-Dixon.

Minto was also given a fresh offer of bail in the sum of $500,000 with two sureties before being taken into custody.

Allegations are that Minto was driving her Toyota Ipsum vehicle along Felicity Road in Glendevon when she attempted to overtake another motorist. She reportedly lost control of the vehicle, which struck Rose, Hylton, and Rose’s mother and sister.

Rose, who was a grade-10 student of Green Pond High School, in St James, and Hylton, a heavy-equipment operator, died on the spot. Rose’s mother and sister were hospitalised.