Taxi operator in Westmoreland crash that claimed five lives pleads guilty

Delroy Rodney, a 47-year-old taxi operator from Belmont, Westmoreland, pleaded guilty to five counts of causing death by dangerous driving on Thursday.

The plea was entered in the Westmoreland Circuit Court, marking a significant development in a case that has gripped the community.

Rodney's charges stem from a tragic vehicular crash that occurred on November 13, 2023, when his Toyota Voxy, which he was operating as a public passenger vehicle, collided with a Shacman motor truck on the Bluefields main road in Westmoreland. 

The collision resulted in the deaths of five passengers, leading to Rodney's arrest and subsequent charge.

Following his arrest on November 15, 2023, Rodney was granted bail with strict conditions, including the surrender of his travel documents and regular reporting to the police.

His bail has been extended to February 20, when a sentencing hearing is to be held.

Meanwhile, the presiding judge, Justice Courtney Daye, has ordered a social enquiry report and a victim impact report.

Those who perished in the crash are 15-year-old schoolgirl Lavecia Forrester and her 39-year-old mother, Petrina Wallace, of Gordon district, in Whitehouse; Oneil Allen and his mother, 65-year-old Angela Samuel of Mount Edgecombe; and 54-year-old Janet Thompson, of McAlpine.

- Albert Ferguson

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