The driver of a bus involved in an accident on Saturday morning which killed 12-year-old Keyana Emmanuel appeared in court today and was granted bail in the sum of $30,000.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges that landed him before the court.
Benoit Guiste, 49, of Marigot appeared before Magistrate Gloria Augustus at the Roseau Magistrate court Tuesday afternoon.
He is facing the charges of driving without the appropriate class of license and driving with ‘smooth’ tires. Although the charge of causing death by reckless driving was read to the defendant he was not required to enter a plea.
The Nissan bus (HE262), which was being driven by Guiste, was traveling from Marigot to Roseau when according to police the driver seemed to have lost control. The vehicle subsequently “slipped” and rolled over two to three times in the Tarish Pit area.
Two other persons were injured and hospitalized in the accident.
Attorney Peter Alleyne made the bail application on behalf of the defendant.
The conditions of the bail require Guiste to report to the Marigot Police Station every Monday and to inform the police of any change in address.
The preliminary inquiry is set for August 17 in Castle Bruce.
guadeloupe was prone to accidents as they got all these freeways. now i see they got things under control…they got detectors placed at certain points for those who like speeding…today they mentioned they wont make those detectors be visible so they gon catch alot of ppl who get away with speeding. they got a bus system not anybody jus come buy a bus and get H and then want speed with ppl and cuss u when u tell them slow down. private buses should be for tourist and public buses should be run by the govt. where u got professional bus drivers and buses that run different lines…could even put up a ticket system to make it easier but that aint mean we cant use money to pay the bus at times…they should research on guada bus system and copy it..bus drivers arent disrespectful and they dont speed with u. this info i really should submit to the transport board..i aint even sure which department is responsible…but whoevers reading this…pass it along…some of the bus drivers are prepared to kill us on the road.sad
feeling sorry for the mother for the lost of her child.
I think I may have made this statement somewhere before. I strongly believe that people intending to drive vehicles as a means of Hired Public Transportation should be subjected to literacy tests, eye examinations, the ability to read and describe street signs and even basic psychology.
The reason for this I believe is that when dealing with the general public on the roads on a daily basis, all these aspects come into play. Further more, when applying for any job there are basic requirements that have to be met and I am certainly sure that besides acquiring a C Class license and being over the age of 18, there are no other precedence currently set to become public vehicle operator. I think that to become a Public Vehicle Operator, one should have acquired a certain number of years as a licensed driver; let’s say 5. Then there should be PVO (Public Vehicle Operator) classes that one has to attend and pass so as to be a Certified PVO. I also believe that PVO’s should be give identification numbers to allow the public to be able to complain against them; the numbers being for the driver and should be in clear view of the people on the vehicle. These complaints can then cause the PVO to be called in for a review. Too many complaints proven to genuine by a comity can then cause the PVO to loose his certification, not his personal driver’s license, allowing him to drive a personal vehicle, but not a hired public vehicle. The driver can then reapply for his certification after going through the certification process all over. The certification course should be practical as well as written. Allowing the comity to access the literacy level, psychological state and ability and also have an officer go on an actual route with the PVO carrying passengers.
Just my simple view.
I hope the authorities are taking note!
I rode on this bus back when I was on holiday and confronted the driver/owner his brother about his reckless driving and what he didn’t tell me was what he didn’t know about me. I wasn’t surprised when I heard of the accident as I immediately assumed who the driver was. It was confirmed to me later. I think they should lock the driver up and throw away the key.. both of them. They don’t care about passenger safety. All they want is money. Go to the village of marigot and ask if elderly people ride on this bus they will tell NO.. they’re scared of this bus driver reckless driving. I’m not saying that accidents cannot happen, however these bus driver do not put people safety first. If he did, he would have had insurance, secondly he would have proper tires on the bus and thirdly he would not be speeding on that wet road! No bail should be granted!
i agree to this 100 percent
Maybe he could have been under the influence of illegal or prescripitive drugs
sorry i cant talk, but if i was in marigot at the time, i would tell this driver that he should not go Roeau with four inner tubs on his bus, these are not tires they are inner tubs,or sothin if you know what i mean.inner tubs floats on water, its somthing they call hydroplaneing or something like that, idont know what im talking about let shutup because momo cant talk.all iknow is bus drivers too cheap in Dominica at people’s expence.
I can’t believe some of the comments reading dere? You have a guy driving a passenger bus without a class “C” license, bald tires, on wet road, 12 passengers on board, and still speeding, then an innocent life is lost. Yet some people saying he should not be charge, or we are being negative if we say so. Only in D/ca this kind of Sh*t flies. Anywhere else, this guy would be in jail and probably without bail. For those who are trying to defend the bus driver, I wonder what you would say if it was your sister, daughter, grandchild, or some close relative that lost their life because of this driver.
Don’t we know that buses and bus drivers are exempt from all traffic regulations?
Traffic laws, in fact, almost all laws , are a farce in this country.
We are just lawless, plain and simple, too many of us.
THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM SHOULD BE STATE RUN, like it is in most developed countries, where they WORK, even in Barbados.
Not to have all young boys who can’t get a job, or those driving for drug dealers laundering some of their money, carrying the responsibilities for people’s precious lives.
This guy should serve time.
So true!!! In my opinion, it shouldn’t be okay for someone to just wake up one day and decide they going and drive bus for a living, go down to the traffic department and put an “H” on their vehicle. Many bus operators, dive so recklessly. It seems they forget they have people lives in their hands. I also think all bus drivers should have some form of insurance to compensate passengers in the event of an accident just like airline companies do. True…money cannot take the place of a loved one but who is now responsible for paying the medical bills for the injured persons or the funeral expenses for that poor little girl.
As for the traffic department, I really don’t have much faith in them. With the exception of licence checks every now and then what do they really do?? There are so many police driving unlicensed vehicles.
Every single vehicle should be obliged to a yearly technical check up;and chauffeurs should present the certified document when stopped by traffic officers.mr.minister do your job u are paid to do.these laws can avoid grave accidents.thanx
You state yearly? This is 12 months! At the speed, distance, usage of the vehicle, also transporting God-given precious lives? I consider that they should be inspected twice yearly; every six months.
If yearly or twice yearly, there should be an organized government system in place that a writing be sent out to the drivers prior to inspection, reminding them that an inspection will be conducted on their vehicle (s).
If the government does not wish to notify them for obvious reasons, as a surprise inspection, then it should be conducted on a scheduled date. I would think throughout the year the dates would vary, depending on the date the license was approved and purchased and/or the date of the license renewal.
In this age of computer systems, it should not be difficult for the government to compile a list of drivers, addresses and phone numbers for their archives and to ensure that this inspection be conducted.
These are just my thoughts. I have no idea what system the government has for inspecting those vehicles. What do you think of that?
Vehicles in Dominica are currently inspected on an annual basis. Every year vehicle users have to take their vehicles to the traffic department to have it inspected by a suitable officer and deemed worthy to be road driven. Even before the officer inspects the vehicle, the insurance documents of said vehicle have to be presented to the officer.
no rules for buses, no rules for speed limits for buses, no rules for tyres for buses, no rules for the exhausts either, some having thick black smoke trialing behind, no standards on the condition of the inside of the bus – seats etc, no rules where passengers are let off or picked up, in an island with endless bendy winding roads, buses seemed to be licensed to overtake where they cannot see ahead, yes with passengers on board; bus drivers don’t need to look before they move off either. A wonder there are not more accidents. sir if it is yr fault, i hope you pay every last penny of punishment! And to the unintelligent police force, make some rules
sorry” meant to say ( I SEE BUSES AS PUBLIC TRANSPORT)
When they are used to carry passengers who pay for that service they are Privately Owned Public Transportation.
two hours after the accident happen, i saw the photo of it on the net. first thing i said to my other half was “THESE TYRES LOOK BALD”, long before anyone had commented about the accident since my time is hour ahead of DA. now that i read the other comments about the tyre issue i have to say it was an accident waiting to happen. Isnt there a law in DA to forbid drivers to have proper tyres especially as we get so much rain and the roads can be very slippery? I see bushes as public transport simple as they carriy passengers to make money for a living, and for that the owners needs to ensure that before any vehicle lives for any journey, they need to be in absolutely good condition. THE SAME APPLIES TO PRIVATE VEHICLES as they transport their own family and therefore put them at risks. saying that tyres are not the only problems, there are the brakes, clutches and aven engines over heating.
All motor vehicles should have a yearly tests called an MOT. like they do in most countries as all vehicles are the same no matter where u are. ACCIDENTS HAPPENS BUT WHEN U DONT TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOUR VEHICLE THEN ITS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.
my heart goes out the the young girl family. may her soul rests in peace.
This was an accident waiting to happen. When I am staying on the island I do experience first hand how this taxi drivers behave. Always in a hurry and driving like crazy. No manners on the road. As far as maintenance of the vehicles is concerned, profit before safety!
They need to be more tighter regulated by law and the police needs to enforce this law.
stop making such negative comments …. thhings happen …we all can get into an accident…we all can loose a love one …what we need to do know is support the families that was involved in this traggic incident and pray this sort of thing dosnt happen to you or me
You have a good message but you miss the point on many levels. God helps those who …… I’m sure you know the rest. If you are going to keep driving a vehicle that’s not road worthy, how many miracles do you expect from the almighty? You don’t go creating highly dangerous situations and expect God to bail you out over and over again. You want to test the Lord? is that what it is about?
If you are careless once and you get away with it then fine, but when you are competently negligent then you deserve to be punished. That is the way of society.
What if it were your family killed in such a manner that could so easily have been prevented? It is not just about a life being lost, but the manner and knowing how simply it could have been avoided by obeying the law.
hmm there is no damage to this bus from the front ,rear or sides that means this guy did not go off the road to hit anything to cause that accident,i think he the rear tire burst and with the wet surface and bad tires he went sideways caussing the bus to flip.
oh shut up
You think? This is the problem with some people, saying I think and I assume. You were not present therefore please do not think what occurred to cause the accident. Your thinking may not correct but mere speculation of the mind.
Won’t mention it here although it is not really bad.
I recall a statement which would be used, “Do you know what ‘thought’ made a man do?”
I am not taking out d blame on d bus drivers,but see how d government don’t care about us,wen u carrying tourist government pass rules dat d police shoud enforce like making sure your tires are good,but for us ordinary people police never go around checking passenger bus,
I spoke to the bus so called owner two weeks before the accident speaking to him about his tires, but when i read some of the comments it gets me mad. They need to stop and think most of us vehicle owners has given someone our vehicle and they not on the inssurance, also at some point in time we have bawl tires people lives are at risk so dont give on the bus drivers because u are driving a private vehicle. Mack u you the private owner may suffer more pain than the bus owners you knw why it may just be your wife,your mum, your child ect.So be objected in the matter and speak out to all drivers be it a bus driver or private vehicle owner.I STRONLY BELIEVE THE SO CALLED OWNER SHOULD BE PUNISH REAL HARD BECAUSE HE WAS SPOKEN TO AT TRAFALGER FALL SOME TWO WEEKS AGO BY MANY BUS DRIVERS ABOUT THE VERY SAME TIRES AND HIS RESPONSE WAS(THEM TING NOT CHEAP U HAVE TO GET THE LIFE OUT OF THEM WEN U DONE WITH THEM IS TO THROW)
he is an a/////
YOU COULD BE THE BEST DRIVER AND CAN GET IN AN ACCIDENT. IT IS TRAGIC IF HE WAS
DRIVING FAST ON THE WET ROAD HIS 100 WRONG BECAUSE HE HAD PASSENGERS. WE
ALL HUMAN AND MAKE MISTAKE. IT COULD HAPPEN TO ANY BODY WHEN EVER YOU
TRAVELING YOUR LIFE IS AT STAKE,
king sulton you dho see the tires yourself even a blind person could see them tires and if he was not going fast the accident would not have been fatal he was going up a small hill and is no way u going up a hill with no speed for you to have cause an accident that bad so think again and repost
listen my people dominica have no law this man is gonna go free. I no both my uncle was killed in st joseph by a crazy driver.and this man spend no time in jail
The truth of the matter, this case will not be called any time soon! in fact there is no magistrate in District ‘G’ for six going on seven months!, This case will take years, by then witnesses would have left, police would have moved and the driver will eventually get away with it!
It was a tragic accident the man didnt mean to kill anybody. He will just have to accept his wrong and face the charges. HOWEVER, the bus drivers in DA need to drive more carefully because the kind of ride i get when i came down last year i say maybe the man forget he have passengers on his bus…over taking, speeding,…..all kind of thing. But the family in our prayers at this time…may her precious little soul rest in peace
Our drivers are always late for something!There is a saying: “You can Never be late twice”.and if you know you have an appointment of any sort,don’t pick up people along the way! It’s high time passengers let them be aware that they are onboard, and that should tell them something. My goodness, nobody has invented the flying bus yet, so stop trying to make y’all bus get wings with the speed you drive on the roads!!
They know they will end up killing someone if they continue like that and yet they continue like that. I think that implies the lack of respect for the life of his passengers, and at least the knowledge of a high chance of killing someone. then when it happens everyones cries he didn’t mean too!!!!1
This is indeed a tragedy..but we must not forget that even with the mountain of evidence one is inocent untill proven guilty..
????????????????????????????
I think the police should stop every bus and ask the bus driver to show them their license. If the don’t have the proper license they should go straight to jail. This is the only way this situation is going to be resolved . To many bus drivers are transporting people without the proper license. There are marks on the tires that indicate when they should be change. If you ignore this mark and the police check your tires and they are below the mark then they should take you to jail to. The bus drivers have to remember that they have people lives in their hands and they should make it their duty to drive safely.
Jungle.. Warrior u dat there?
but how many of all u stop to think about those private vehicles which carry passanger even in the form of a ride? if it was a private vehicle what the hell would u all be saying now? all you dam [peoples must look AND start to think now and whats going to happen next. typicall DUMMINICANS.
on a private vehicles you ride at your own risk. When you paying your money that is a different story.
????????????????????????????? stups…. wats ur point exactly? you are the typical DUMnican i guess…
If the driver of a private ride isn’t properly licensed or insured & kills a passenger he should be charged.
What is the verdict of the Police investigation? I suppose it will not be released at this moment so as not to prejudice the case.
In these times, when people commit crimes and murders or recklessly drive and are arrested, they tell the Court that they are not guilty. I am certain that he did not take it upon himself to say that he is not guilty. He was counseled by his lawyer. If he pleads guilty, the case will be closed and he will be fined and/or sent to prison.
There are lawyers who would like the case to be prolonged so as to be fully financially compensated. They do not work for nothing especially when the government pays defense lawyers.
The lawyer will not allow this man to incriminate himself, also in the hope that he is acquitted or that the Court will be lenient with him. This is how it works.
He may be going through a lot of anxiety due to this accident, the death of the young girl and injuries to other people. Nevertheless, the family has lost their loved one and those who were injured are suffering. I hope that the injured recover in time.
I also hope he will formerly show his remorse and apologize to them even though what is done is done and cannot be undone.
Christianity has taught us that if someone asks for forgiveness we are obligated to forgive.
Our Lord told us to forgive one another; that if we do not forgive from the heart neither will His (Our) Heavenly Father forgive us. It is a command and expectation based on God’s forgiveness.
I suppose when all is said and done, Keyana’s family will forgive him.
There is no doubt that Keyana being a young, innocent child, is happy in Heaven in the arms of God. God has made her whole. She is a happy, loving angel in Heaven.
If she had lived her injuries could have caused her to be sickly and suffering for life. God has spared her further suffering.
When I think of this accident, it deeply saddens me at the manner in which she passed on.
My prayers are also with her family who are mourning her loss.
May God bless them and cover them with His mantle of love and consolation.
This is tragic but , some blame is on the police (TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT)of Dominica if they were doing a proper job the out come could be different , everything is in God .s hand and time , that day sure wasn’t the first time that he drove that bus, and i’m sure those” BALD HEAD” tires were on that bus before. just imagine if that was a tourist from some other country my goodness Dominica and its so call tourist industry would be finished. TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT GET OUT THERE AND DO YOUR JOB, WE ARE LOOSING LIFE AND LIMB HERE, NO OTHER MOTHER SHOULD HAVE TO SEE HER CHILD DIE AGAIN.AND WOMEN WHEN YOU DRIVE WITH YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS PLEASE STOP TALKING AND LET THEM CONCENTRATE.
Bondieu hard words to significant others!!!
Last year I recall reading on this Website that some tourists were driving in a truck (not a bus) and the truck got into an accident. I have no idea whose fault it was. As far as I remember, one of the tourists were injured. I believe that it was a woman. I wondered about that tourist. I thought, if the tourist is injured she would sue. I have no idea what occurred after that.
Countries are not devoid of accidents and some fatal ones with injuries. Drivers must drive cautiously and always be on the alert.
With bawl tires and improper license and causing death by reckless driving you should face the full force of the law to deter others from this carnage. These bus drivers has to realize they have the lives of people in their hands
Bald
Some people should learn to spell first before putting stupid comments online. How can a tire be “bowl”? ha ha ha, “your tire bowl head” imagine that
WELL CORRECT THEM DUMMINICANS NUH.
I feel very sorry for the family..after all this tradegy comes the legal battles. Prayers for the Family for the long road ahead.
Even for the Driver that’s going to be hard to deal with.
Sidenote:”driving without the appropriate class of license”..D/A really too sweet cuz if it was elsewhere for that alone u in jail!
ARE YOU STUPID ? HE HAS TO PLEAD NOT GUILTY SO AT THE END OF THE MATTER THEY CAN FIND HIM GUILTY.THINK FIRST BEFORE YOU BASH YOUR MOUTH.
u are the “stupid” one, because your comment lacks substance and makes no sense. The man can plead Guilty or Not, its up to him and his attorney! It has nothing to do with “at the end of the matter…”
JUST ANOTJER DUMMINICAN COMMENT
i support “me” on that comment.
appropriate class of license and driving with ‘smooth’ tires. If I was the bus driver I would appeal driving with smooth tires. Some may ask why? Because the police force do not have any tool to detect or show that your tire is bowl. They just watch and say your tire bowl head.
its not bowl it’s BALD…
And your post isn’t making a lot of sense sorry to inform you….i’m all for freedom of speech but maybe you should have kept that one to yourself u know…
Any blind can see those tires are DONE! ABUSED! MISUSED!, and should have been dumped LONGGGGG time ago. What do you mean the police have no tool? So you want any more evidence than what the upside down bus gave to know the tires were smooth and deadly! I see you trying to conjure up a technicality, you are watching to many CSI episodes! No technicality will fly here, the evidence is clear, four tires up in the air serious injury and death the price we all paid!
Not Guilty??? This man need to check his head! you didn’t have the proper license, you were speeding!!! Come on.
You took someone’s life by your recklessness, and you are still pleading not guilty? People like you should serve life sentences for such crimes!
This is a tragic, tragic situation for all involved. Life in prison is not the answer here. Rather, we need to develop and implement policies – that can be enforced – to prevent these things from happening. Otherwise, we will see this pattern continue with little or no accountablity.
I am sure he is going on the advice of legal counsel.
The driver knew and is possibly related to the deceased. The mental pain that he is going through is probably unbearable. More so, he has to return to the community where they all lived close to each other. That will be real hard.
My condolences to the family of the deceased, and to the driver, may you find peace with yourself and the whole incident.
why is me being so mean..this is a tragic accident.. i agree he should have appropriate licence but please is a deliberate act… ok.. so in cases like tis especially when both persons are hurting we should our words wisely..
I am not being mean!!
I’m just tired of seeing all these things happening and in most cases they get away with it! Too many at time families have to suffer at the loss of a loved one in accidents which could’ve been avoided, yet in a matter of a short space of time the person is back on the road. If laws were implemented where their license were taken it’d not have repeated episodes because many of the others will think hard.
My heart goes out to the family of the young lady because it could’ve been anyone. But, what I’m stressing on is everytime such accidents take place we are always feeling sorry for the person at fault stating the anxiety they are going through. Damn it, we need to set done some serious rules and regulations (Laws) when you take someone’s life by an accident!!
Just a pity no one has haunted a reckless driver yet.
My deepest condolences to the family of the deseased….. In responce to Me, if u are a driver on the road, u should watch what u say… because we are so quick to judge others mistake, forgetting that we could be in a similar situation….. especially if you’re a driver….
I am a driver, and for a number of years too!
The good thing is I don’t drive as reckless as some people. I take many things into consideration when driving:The pedestrian as well as the other drivers. I know just what I say, since I notice that most of the drivers these days always seem to be in a hurry. I stop to ask if there’s a prize to be won, I surely won’t qualify since I take my time. On the other hand I know that accidents do happen( and to anyone too), but some of them can be avoided!
Sometimes you have to stop and wonder if it’s an airstrip or a public road when you see vehicles passing. My advice: take it easy on the road; even if you don’t know your purpose in life we all have one. Life is already too short to do nonsense on the streets!!