Driver placed on $50,000 bail, license suspended for accident involving school children

By Leroy Smith

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has recommended that the license of 28-year-old Alpha Felix be suspended following the accident on the West Coast Berbice where dozens of school children were injured.

The News Room has been informed that given the recommendations of the DPP, it would be decided if Felix’s license would be returned to him upon the conclusion of the trial.

Felix appeared in the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court yesterday (Tuesday, May 16, 2017), charged with dangerous driving. He pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him and was placed on $25,000 bail.

On the day in question, Felix attempted to overtake a long line of vehicles including three buses; one of which was transporting students of the Dr. Rohan Private School in Region 5.

At one point, while overtaking the vehicles, Felix found himself in the path of oncoming traffic and attempted to force himself back into his lane. It was during that process that his vehicle clipped one of the buses causing it to flip and collide with the one transporting the students.

As a result, the children were injured and had to be rushed to the Fort Wellington and Mahaicony Cottage Hospitals for medical attention. The youngest student injured was just three years old.

A total of 14 children received injuries ranging from trauma to the head to non-life-threatening injuries to the neck and the lower parts of their bodies, while 15 adults from the other minibus received minor injuries.

Alpha Felix was at the time driving BTT 2426.