By John Myers, Jr. Freelance WriterCLARENDON:
THE DRIVER of the Leyland truck that was involved in a motor vehicle accident on the Tollgate main road which killed four people has been granted bail at $400,000 and is to return to court on January 30.
The driver, Orville Williams, 21 years old of Salt Pond district, Spanish Town, St. Catherine, was offered bail on January 16, after his attorney, Alpheus Hines, presented to the court a series of recommendations reflecting positively on Williams' character.
Williams was arrested and charged by the police on December 18, the day of the accident, with four counts of causing death by dangerous driving.
According to police reports, the accident occurred when an Isuzu truck which was travelling towards Mandeville stopped to make a right turn on the Tollgate main road. The Leyland truck which was travelling behind reportedly slammed into the rear of the Isuzu truck, pushing it into the path of a Toyota Hiace bus travelling in the opposite direction. The impact caused the minibus, which was loaded with passengers, to overturn on the right side and to skid a few metres on the road before it stopped.
Four persons were pronounced dead at the May Pen Hospital and 11 others were injured. All were passengers in the minibus. As conditions to his bail, Resident Magistrate Courtney Daye ordered that Williams report to the Spanish Town Police Station on Wednesdays and Saturdays before 6:00 p.m. He is also to surrender all travel documents.
