Sixth delay in dangerous driving case

THE LONG-AWAITED committal hearing for Montego Bay-based nurse Dana Minto, who is charged with causing death by dangerous driving following an accident in 2017, which claimed two lives, was put off yet again on Wednesday.

Minto was expected to undergo her hearing in the St James Parish Court for a determination to be made as to whether her case would be tried in the St James Circuit Court. However, the hearing could not begin as the judge overseeing the matter, Kacia Grant, was absent.

Despite that setback, Minto’s lawyer, Trevor Ho Lyn, told the stand-in magistrate, Judge Sandria Wong-Small, that he was ready to make submissions for his client at the appointed time.

“The documents and information that were to be supplied have been supplied, and I might make a submission,” said Ho Lyn.

The committal hearing was subsequently set for May 10. Minto’s bail was extended to that date.

RESCHEDULED DATES

Yesterday’s mention date marks the sixth time Minto’s committal hearing has been delayed. The hearing was previously set for September 21 and then November 9 last year and then rescheduled for January 10, then March 4, and, most recently, April 1, this year.

The case had been put off on the five previous dates because the black box data from Minto’s vehicle was outstanding from the case file.

Minto was charged following an incident on November 13, 2017, when the Toyota Ipsum vehicle she was driving struck four persons along Felicity Road in Glendevon, St James. The incident happened while Minto was allegedly trying to overtake another vehicle.

Fifteen-year-old Shantae Rose, a grade 10 student of Green Pond High School in St James, and 52-year-old Franklin Hylton died on the spot while Rose’s mother and sister were hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries. Minto allegedly jumped from the vehicle and fled the scene but later surrendered to the police.