The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE man whose truck mowed into a crowd during last year’s Labour Day parade has denied allegations that he negligently caused the death of four women and injured eight other people as a result.

Travis Lamar Sawyer denied all four counts of manslaughter by negligence and eight additional counts of negligently causing harm when formally charged before Justice Bernard Turner on Friday.

Justice Turner transferred the matter to Justice Gregory Hilton, and Sawyer will return to court on February 28 for a mention hearing and to possibly receive a trial date.

His $8,000 bail, granted by Justice Turner in September, continues until that time.

It is alleged that on June 1, 2018, Sawyer, by means of unlawful harm, negligently caused the deaths of 41-year-old Tabitha Haye, 48-year-old Tami Patrice Gibson, 51-year-old Kathleen Fernander and 55-year-old Dianna Gray-Ferguson.

It is also alleged that he negligently caused harm to eight other persons – Annabelle Gibson, Allez Lightbourne, Christine Adderley, Kimberlin Johnson, Kyren Johnson, Makeba Ford, Ruth Stuart and Philippa Forbes.

Shortly after 10am on the date in question, the annual Labour Day parade was walking north on East Street in the vicinity of Shirley Street, when a green Ford F150 truck, which was a part of the parade, descended the hill towards Shirley Street.

The vehicle, which at the time had no driver, ran into a number of people who were a part of the parade, resulting in them receiving injuries. The vehicle came to a stop after hitting a Nissan vehicle, parked in a nearby parking lot.

Two people were pronounced dead at the scene, while 26 others were taken to hospital. Two women later died at the hospital, which was forced into mass casualty mode.

Sawyer is represented by lawyer Barry Sawyer and Renaldo Toote.