A serious road traffic incident that left two secondary school students with life-altering injuries last month has moved through the early legal process, with the driver facing criminal charges and court approval for release on bail.
The collision unfolded on September 18 in the Cas En Bas area, when two passenger vehicles traveling in opposite directions collided head-on, according to local law enforcement accounts. The impact of the crash was so severe that both vehicles careened into two heavy construction vehicles that were left parked along the side of the road.
Amid the chaos of the collision, three pedestrians walking in the area were struck by the out-of-control vehicles. Two of those pedestrians were enrolled at Entrepot Secondary School: 16-year-old Tatiyanna Innocent and 17-year-old Jeanquan Jn Peirre. Both were rushed immediately to a local hospital for emergency medical care following the crash.
In the weeks since the incident, the full extent of the students’ injuries has become clear. Jn Peirre underwent a life-saving procedure that required surgeons to amputate his injured leg, a change that will have long-term impacts on his mobility and quality of life. Innocent, meanwhile, has already completed a major surgical procedure to repair her damage and is now working through an intensive physiotherapy regimen to regain her strength and movement.
Cuthbert Mathurin, the driver identified as the responsible party in the incident, has been formally charged with dangerous driving. He made his first court appearance on Tuesday, where a judge granted him bail set at $3,000. The case is expected to proceed through further court hearings as the legal process moves forward.