Cabbie pleads guilty in deaths of Westmoreland five

WESTERN BUREAU:

The relatives of the five persons who perished in a motor vehicle accident in Westmoreland just over a year ago say they are satisfied that Delroy Rodney, the driver of the ill-fated vehicle, has taken responsibility for the accident.

Rodney, the 47-year-old driver of the public passenger vehicle (PPV) in which the five victims, including a 15-year-old schoolgirl, were killed, entered a guilty plea to the five counts of death by dangerous driving, for which he was charged. He was appearing before Justice Courtney Daye in the Westmoreland Circuit Court yesterday.

“We will never be able to fill the void left by the tragic death of our mother, but his (Rodney’s) decision is a step in the right direction and, if for nothing else, my family and I are happy that he took responsibility for his actions,” Sabrina Marshall, whose mother, Janet Thompson, died in the accident, told The Gleaner.

It was the general view of the affected families that Rodney’s guilty plea not only brought them the justice they had been waiting for, but will also serve as a deterrent to other PPV drivers who have fallen into the habit of driving dangerously and putting their passengers’ lives at risk.

“For us to get closure and move on, I think this was the best decision for him to take,” said Marshall, who is hoping that Rodney’s predicament will send the right message to other transport operators.

Eudith Wilson, who lost both of her daughters, Petrina Wallace, and Lavecia Forrester, in the accident, said hearing the guilty plea from Rodney was a welcomed relief for her, though she remains grief-stricken by the accident that devastated her family.

AN END TO THE MATTER

“I am feeling satisfied that he pleaded guilty, bringing an end to the matter,” said Wilson, as she mixed and mingled with the other two affected families outside the courthouse following Rodney’s guilty plea.

Cleveland Samuel, who lost his wife and stepson in the accident, said he was still being haunted by the sad memories and that he will not be happy until the man responsible for their deaths ends up behind prison bars.

“Yesterday (November 13) was one year since the accident and I am constantly being reminded of how I lost my wife and stepson,” said Samuel, as he reflected on the emptiness in his house since his wife, Angela Samuel, and his stepson, O’neil Allen, perished.

“It doesn’t make any difference, because they are dead,” he said of Rodney’s guilty plea. “Right now, I am not seeking revenge, because they are gone, and even if the judge decided to give him the full weight of the court, that would still not bring them back to life.”

Based on information provided by the relatives of the deceased persons, they were no stranger to Rodney, as he had been providing taxi services in the area they are from for many years.

“I know him from his childhood days. His father and I have worked together for years,” said Samuel, who told The Gleaner that Rodney, who has been operating in his community for about 20 years, lost his own father in a motor vehicle accident when he was a child.

On November 13, 2023, Rodney’s Toyota Voxy, which he was operating as a PPV, collided with a Shakman motor truck on the Bluefield main road in Westmoreland.

The victims were identified as 15-year-old Forrester and her 39-year-old mother, Wallace, of Gordon district in Whitehouse; O’neil Allen and his mother, 65-year-old Angela Samuel of Mount Edgecombe; and 54-year-old Janet Thompson, of McAlpine.

Rodney, who is out on a J$7-million bail bond, is to remain free until February 20 next year when he is to return to court for a sentencing hearing.

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com