Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

A jury has freed 33-year-old registered nurse Letitia Beckford of causing death by reckless driving.

Beckford, who is employed to the Medical Associates Hospital, was charged in connection with the death of Albertha Reid, shopkeeper, of Springfield, St. Thomas.

The Crown led evidence before Justice Ingrid Mangatal and the jury that Beckford's motor car hit Reid on April 2, 2004, while she was on the sidewalk in front of her businessplace.

The case should have been tried in the St. Thomas Circuit Court but because the courthouse was gutted by fire in February, the case was tried in the Home Circuit Court.

Beckford, who was represented by attorney-at-law Valerie Neita Robertson, wept as she recounted what took place on the day of the incident. She said she was not speeding when the accident occurred. She said she was on her way to Prospect, St. Thomas, and was travelling at about 30 miles per hour. She was approaching a bridge when she saw two motor vehicles coming from the opposite direction. The motor vehicles were speeding and it appeared as if the drivers were racing.

Swerved

One of the motor vehicles was heading straight towards her, and she said in order to avoid a head-on collision, she swerved to the left of the road. She said there was a precipice to the left and to avoid going over it, she swerved to the right and at that time a woman moved from her stall and thecar hit her.

The woman fell and when the car came to a stop she noticed that the woman was under the right back wheel of the motor car. She called for help but a hostile crowd gathered and she took a taxi to the police station and made a report.

The seven-member jury retired for one hour yesterday and found Beckford not guilty of the charge.

barbara.gayle@gleanerjm.com