An accident reconstructionist today said the driver of the motorcar involved in an accident almost ten years ago along Sunbury Road, St Philip is not responsible for causing the death of deceased pedestrian Ian Elroy Gibson.
However, Roger Mayers, the former Royal Barbados Police Force sergeant at the scene said the driver, Gian Holder, did contribute to the collision “while driving at an excessive speed” on that Friday, September 18, 2009.
Mayers gave the evidence this morning as the trial against Maria Antoinette Goddard of Parish Land C, Balls Land, Christ Church and Shaquille Shamal Khalleel Bradshaw and Doniko Javier Alleyne both of Balls Land, Christ Church continued in the No. 2 Supreme Court.
The three have pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and are on trial before an eight-member jury accused with unlawfully killing 11-year-old Gibson, a Princess Margaret student, on September 20, 2009.
Mayers, who was the lone witness to take the stand before Justice Randall Worrell this morning, said based on data, evidence and facts surrounding the collision, which occurred around 3:25 p.m., on September 18, 2009, Holder was travelling along Sunbury Road going in the direction of Sunbury, towards Church Village.
He explained that a number of students from the Princess Margaret Secondary School were also located “at the point of impact” on both sides of the roadway awaiting transportation.
“Ian Gibson was running from the area of a blue garbage can which is located on the left hand side of the road . . . going towards Sunbury House. The deceased ran onto the roadway and collided with the left section of the motorcar, which was passing at the time.
“Having collided with the motorcar, the pedestrian was thrown off his feet and landed on the left side of the roadway approximately 40 feet from where he was originally struck going in the same direction as the motorcar. The motorcar came to a rest . . . approximately 45 feet from where it collided with the pedestrian,” Mayers said as he read from his report which was compiled after he analysed, took photographs and measured the scene.
The accident reconstructionist also revealed that he saw no evidence of skid marks at the scene of the accident.
“The absence of skid marks at this scene shows there was no . . . pressing [of] brakes hard to stop the vehicle as quickly as possible,” he said adding that his examination revealed that the front section of the motorcar “did not come into contact” with the deceased.
“Rather, the deceased collided with the side of the motorcar. The deceased performed an act of running across the road colliding with the motorcar, which caused his death. In my opinion the driver of the motorcar is not responsible for causing the death of the pedestrian but contributed to this collision while driving at an excessive speed,” he stated.
Gibson died from his injures at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital two days later on September 20, 2009.
Principal Crown Counsel Alliston Seale is prosecuting the case, while attorneys-at-law Arthur Holder and Danielle Mottley are representing Bradshaw. Angella Mitchell-Gittens is legal counsel for Alleyne and Goddard.
The case continues before Justice Worrell tomorrow.
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