February 17 set for ruling on traffic cop road fatality at Eccles

Magistrate Leron Daly is to rule on February 17 on a no-case submission made by the attorney for Ron Cole, the driver accused of causing the death of traffic policeman Nakosi ‘Kelvin’ La Fleur on the East Bank Demerara public road last year.

It was alleged that on April 11, 2016, Cole drove vehicle GRR 3955 in a manner dangerous to the public along the public road at Eccles causing the death of La Fleur. He was charged seven days later.

Making submissions on Friday, Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru referred to Cole’s inattentiveness and told the court he ought to be found guilty of the crime.

Ron Cole
Nakosi ‘kelvin’ LaFleur

Magistrate Daly heard that the defendant previously stated in his evidence that on the day of the accident the traffic light at Eccles was showing green in his direction. However, according to the prosecution and evidence presented by the prosecution witnesses, La Fleur, a traffic policeman, was directing traffic.

This, the prosecutor mentioned, raised the issue of the defendant’s attentiveness.

It was also stated that during the testimony of Corporal Payne, who took measurements of the accident scene, that La Fleur was about 13 ft from the western corner of the roadway and the width of the road is 31 ft.

This, Mangru stated, would mean that La Fleur would have been at the centre of the road.

At the closure of the prosecutor’s submissions, Magistrate Daly adjourned to February 17.