Sophia man jailed for killing Pensioner in Brickdam accident

A 35-year-old grass-cutter was on Thursday, January 4, 2018, sentenced to four years in prison after he pleaded guilty to causing the death of a 73-year-old woman in a motor vehicle accident which occurred on the Brickdam Public Road on January 2, 2017.

Kenneth Johnson of ‘A’ Field Sophia, Georgetown admitted before the court that he drove motorcar PLL 2838 in a dangerous manner which caused the death of Joycelin Joseph.

Johnson was also charged with using the private motorcar as a taxi and fined $10,000.

The unrepresented man begged the victim’s relatives for forgiveness as he admitted that he was wrong. Johnson also told the court that he is the sole breadwinner for his family and that he is employed as a grass-cutter at the Cyril Potter’s College of Education (CPCE) and works taxi in the evenings.

Reports indicate that on the day in question, Johnson was proceeding east along Brickdam Road at a fast rate as he hoped to pass the stop light at the intersection of Winter Place before it turned red.

In the process, he struck down the pedestrian who was crossing the road from south to north. The elderly woman was pronounced dead on the scene by emergency medical personnel.

As a result of the impact, the pedestrian was reportedly dragged about 39 metres; the vehicle came to a halt some 200 feet away from the impact. The elderly woman was on her way to collect her pension at the time of her death.