( L - R ) JOHNSON AND HARRIS
A HOME Circuit Court jury has freed 42-year-old music producer Wycliffe 'Steelie' Johnson who was charged in connection with the death of 12-year-old Merl Grove High school student, Shakarra Harris.
Johnson, who is a director of Steelie and Cleevie Productions in New Kingston, was charged with causing death by dangerous driving. The charge arose from a motor vehicle accident along the Constant Spring Road near the school at 6:00 a.m. on January 23 last year. Shakarra, who lived at Big Road, Glengoffe, St. Catherine, was on her way to school at the time of the accident.
The Crown alleged that Johnson drove the car in a manner which was dangerous to the public.
A witness testified that when the car hit Shakarra, she went up in the air. She said when Shakarra fell to the ground, the car dragged her for about 15 feet.
Dr. Percival Henry testified that the girl suffered a broken neck.
MORE INJURIES
Cross-examined by defence lawyer, Berrie Bryan, who represented Johnson, the doctor said that from the injuries he saw the driver could not have been going faster than 20 to 25 miles per hour . He said if the girl was knocked in the air after the accident and dragged for several feet, he would expect to see more injuries to the body.
Johnson denied the allegations and said he was travelling about 25 miles per hour in the middle lane going in the direction of Dunrobin Avenue. He said it was dark at the time and the girl came from nowhere and collided with his car.
Johnson said he sought assistance to take girl to the Kingston Public Hospital and went immediately to the Constant Spring Police Station and reported the matter.
Mrs. Justice Almarie Haynes (acting) presided at the trial which began on Monday. After Johnson was freed, he said he was sorry that a life was lost, but he was innocent of the charge.
Attorney-at-law Berrie Bryan represented Johnson said that up to recently, he had been to the vicinity where the accident took place.
He said it was scandalous that government agencies did not see it fit to even put a pedestrian crossing in the area for the safety of the Merl Grove students.
