An 18-year-old driver was yesterday charged with causing the death of Nerisa Spencer, the Buxton mother who died on April 28 after being struck down by a motor vehicle.
Spencer was struck down at the junction of Lamaha and Oronoque streets in Georgetown, while walking along the roadway on her way to teach an aerobics class.
Dwayne Griffith of 68 William Street, Georgetown, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan where he was read the charge which stated that on April 28 at Lamaha Street he drove motor vehicle PTT 9623 in a dangerous manner causing the death of Nerisa Spencer.
Griffith, who had to be supported by his father as he stood in court wearing a neck brace, was not required to plead to the charge.
The prosecution stated that advice is to be sought as it relates to how they will proceed with the matter.
The teen was also charged with driving a motor vehicle without being the holder of a driver’s licence, driving without third party insurance and taking and driving a motor vehicle without having the consent of the owner. Griffith pleaded not guilty to those three charges.
Bail was objected to by the prosecutor who stated that on the day in question the defendant was the only person in the vehicle.
This was not supported by attorney-at-law Ronald Burch-Smith, who appeared on behalf of defendant. Burch-Smith told the court that on the day in question the defendant was on his way from his father’s house to his mother’s house. The court heard that Griffith was unable to recall exactly what happened, only that the vehicle, driven by another party, was going down Lamaha Street. According to the attorney, a friend of Griffith’s father saw the defendant lying on the roadside, picked him up and rushed him to the hospital.
Burch-Smith presented to the court a copy of Griffith’s medical which highlighted the fact that he is to be placed on bedrest.
The defendant was subsequently placed on $600,000 bail as it relates to the causing death charge and the case was transferred to Magistrate Fabayo Azore. The other charges were transferred to the traffic court.
The matter is set to be called again on June 6.
