Investigator: Red light violation caused deadly crash

Traffic crash/homicide investigator Sergeant Andrew Sandiford determined that a police vehicle collided with a car on Eagle Hall Main Road at its intersection with Fairfield and Deacons Road because the police officer did not stop at a red light.

He was speaking from the witness stand in the No. 5 Supreme Court on Tuesday, as the causing death by dangerous driving trial of Station Sergeant Troy Ryan O’Neal Small continued before a nine-member jury. 

“Having viewed the closed-circuit television cameras from the pawn shop located at the Chanells Supermarket complex and the Sol service station location at Black Rock Main Road and physical evidence at the scene, it is my opinion that the collision was caused when the driver of motor van MP1373 failed to comply with the red traffic light signal,” he said. 

“The traffic light signal…had indicated a red signal approximately seven seconds prior to the motor van reaching the junction. The driver of the motor van MP1373 should have approached the junction, slowed down and given persons approaching from the left, whose traffic lights had indicated green, enough time to adhere to the siren and flashing light and blue lamp before proceeding.”

Asked by State Counsel Anastacia McMeo-Boyce to give his assessment of the police vehicle’s speed at the time of the collision, the investigator said that “some degree of speed was involved to cause such substantial damage to the vehicles.”

He testified that when calculations were made by watching the footage of the police vehicle proceeding along the main road up to the time of impact, it was determined that it had been travelling at “around 106 kilometres.”

The speed limit along Black Rock Main Road to Eagle Hall, he said, is 60 kilometres per hour. 

Sandiford stated that there were no circumstances where a police officer was allowed to breach the speed limit or traffic signals, even when responding to emergency calls.

“In instances where an officer is responding to emergencies, is he still required, in that instance, to drive with due care and attention for other road users?” McMeo-Boyce asked. 

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied.

Small, of Hoytes Terrace, St James, is charged with causing the death of Denzill Allman by driving a police vehicle on Black Rock Main Road, St Michael, at a speed and in a manner dangerous to the public, having regard to all the circumstances of the case, on December 8, 2021.

During his testimony, Sandiford said that motorists on Fairfield Road are unable to see traffic coming from the Walmer Lodge direction.

The witness stated that if all of Allman’s car windows were up, it would have affected his ability to hear what was happening outside of the vehicle.

Sandiford will continue his testimony on Wednesday, after the jury visits the area where the collision occurred.

McMeo-Boyce is prosecuting the matter along with Acting Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Krystal Delaney, while Senior Counsel Arthur Holder represents Small.

Justice Pamela Beckles presides.