BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – SYLVESTER ALLEN, driver of the passenger bus (H5585) that was involved in the July 28 traffic accident on the island main road in the vicinity of Brighton Estate, was today (Aug. 19) arrested and charged for causing the death of Terrence Browne by reckless driving.
According to a police press release, an autopsy was performed yesterday on the body of Browne by resident pathologist Dr. Adrian Quintana, “who concluded that death was due to traumatic shock as a consequence of multiple injuries”.
The 67-year-old deceased of Brighton Estate was struck by the bus driven by Allen of Lodge Village at about 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday, July 28, 2009 as he was crossing the island main road, a short distance from his residence.
Browne was taken to the Joseph N France General Hospital, where he was treated and warded. He was subsequently discharged but succumbed to his injuries on Sunday (Aug. 16).
The release stated that Allen is expected to appear in court shortly.
On the morning of the accident, Allen told SKNVibes that while he was travelling from Basseterre to Molineux Village and after engaging a bend in the vicinity of Brighton Estate, Browne ran from a pathway leading to his residence and collided with his bus on the island main road.
“At about 8:45 this morning, I was driving my bus with one passenger heading towards Molineux from Basseterre. After coming around a bend in Brighton Estate, a man suddenly ran across. I applied my brakes and at the same time swerved to the right of the road, but the man kept running in the path of the vehicle and I could not have avoided hitting him.”
Allen also informed that he later found out that Browne had signalled a passenger bus heading towards Basseterre to stop and was running “to catch the bus, and I suspect he didn’t look to his right before crossing the road”.
The vicinity in which the accident occurred is but a short distance from the bend, which can be classified as a ‘blind turn’ on the island main road.
Browne is the third person to have lost his life by traffic accident for the year. The first was 44-year-old Pincheon Hanley of Ponds Extension, who was struck by a motor jeep while attempting to get from the northern side of Pond Road to the southern. That incident took place on May 16 and Hanley succumbed to his injuries at the Joseph N. France General Hospital.
The second victim was Keith Brombill of Stapleton Village, who died on the spot after being struck by a vehicle while working on the roadway at the junction of Farm’s Road and the island’s main road on Tuesday, August 11. Two men, Jevon Allen of Old Road and Mickhale ‘Micbo’ Kelly, were charged with causing death by dangerous driving in this particular case and has since been placed on bail.
