A fatal car accident which reportedly happened in Lamin
village in the Kombo North District of the West Coast Region, and which last
Friday claimed the life of a young girl and injured three of her family
members, has reached the corridors of justice.
The suspect, one Modou P. Corea, was yesterday arraigned at the Brikama Magistrates’ Court, charged with rash and negligent act causing death.
According to the particulars of offence read before a crowded courtroom, the defendant, Modou P. Corea, on 22 February 2013 at Lamin village drove a motor vehicle with registration number BJL1754A, in a rash and negligent manner, and thereby caused the death of one Awa Badjie, a resident of the village.
After reading the charge sheet to the defendant in the language he claimed to have understood, he denied the charge.
At that juncture, the police prosecutor applied for an adjournment to enable him send the case file to the Attorney General’s Chambers for legal advise.
Prosecutor Sgt 413 Sanyang also told the court that he had no objection to bail for the defendant.
The presiding magistrate Bubacarr Secka granted the prosecution’s application for an adjournment, and also granted the defendant bail of D100,000 with one Gambia surety who must meet all the requirements laid by the court.
He added that the surety must have a national identity card, which would be tendered at the court registrar and must swear to an affidavit of means.
The surety must also have economic ability, so in the event the defendant failed to appear in court, the individual would pay the money.
The case was then adjourned to 20 March 2013, for hearing.
It would be recalled that a fatal car accident was reported in Lamin village on Friday 22 February 2013.
According to eyewitnesses, the victims were standing somewhere not far from the highway when they were knocked over by a car with registration number BJL1754 A.
One of the victims, Awa Badjie lost her life while Abdoulie Sylva alias Boy, Sirra Sylva and Mabintou Badjie sustained serious injuries.
It was also said that the vehicle was coming from Willis Night Club junction, and the driver reportedly wanted to overtake a van on the right and he ran into a nearby shop owned by a Mauritanian, while the victims were standing around that place.
It was further reported that the vehicle hit the victims and went into the shop. The deceased (Awa Badjie) was reportedly confirmed dead at the Banjulinding Health Centre, while the rest were rushed to the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital in Banjul. At the hospital, an X-ray was reported to have being conducted on all the victims and Mabintou Badjie was confirmed to have suffered three fractures on her leg.
