Headlines:
| Driver of ill-fated truck granted bail |
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| Tuesday, 06 January 2009 | |
 The driver of the truck which last month plunged into a
ravine in Portland
killing 14 people was Tuesday offered bail when he appeared in the Buff Bay
Resident Magistrate's Court.Christopher Clarke, 31, was offered bail in the sum of one million dollars. As a condition of his bail, Mr. Clarke will have to surrender his travel documents and is to report to the Port Antonio police station on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays. On December 19, Mr. Clarke was transporting persons in the truck from Cornwall Barracks in Portland to the Coronation Market in Kingston. It's reported that while turning a corner the back wheel of the truck hit an embankment. Mr. Clarke lost control of the vehicle which plunged into a ravine. He then fled the scene. On December 30, Mr. Clarke, accompanied by his attorney, surrendered to the Port Antonio Police. He was Monday charged with 14 counts of manslaughter, failing to report an accident, not having insurance coverage and operating a vehicle contrary to his driver's license. But Tuesday his attorney told the court that his client should not be charged. He insisted that the charge of dangerous driving should be dropped because the condition of the road contributed to the accident. He also said his client panicked following the tragedy. His attorney said this resulted in him fleeing the scene and therefore he should not be charged with leaving the scene of an accident. Mr. Clarke is to return to court on January 14. |