A retired fire officer was moved to tears yesterday as he viewed the photographs taken of accident victim Akalia Weir at the scene 15 years ago.
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Denton Foster had just told the No. 5 Supreme Court how other fire officers and he used equipment to cut another door to reach a woman who was trapped in a vehicle.
He was testifying in the death by dangerous driving trial of Troy Emerson Clinton.
Clinton, of Brereton Village, St Philip, is accused of causing the deaths of Akalia Natasha Weir, as well as two-month-old Jakayla Holder, on April 21, 2011, by driving his vehicle Z72 on Lower Estate Road, St Michael, in a manner dangerous to the public.
Trailer and motor van
The ex-fire officer recalled that he responded with a water tender and a rescue tender to the accident scene. He said the call came through at 7:20 p.m. and they arrived at 7:29 p.m.
Foster said when he arrived he noticed a motor van and a trailer – the trailer was parked on the left side and the van had collided with it. He also noticed a woman lying on the road.
“She was very restless and I remembered that she didn’t have a left arm,” he said.
The witness told the court he then saw a woman in the van. She was on her knees, her stomach was on the seat and she was facing the rear of the vehicle.
He said fire officers were unable to get access to her via the left side so they used the rescue equipment – a spreader and a cutter – to make a door on the right side.
“We did that successfully but unfortunately she didn’t make it,” he added. (HLE)