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The case of Delroy Rodney, the taxi man involved in the crash that killed five persons on November 13, was transferred to the Westmoreland Circuit Court from the parish court on Thursday.

The 47-year-old taxi operator of Belmont in the parish is facing five counts of causing death by dangerous driving. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions entered a voluntary bill of indictment to immediately end the proceedings in the parish court and transfer it to the circuit court. The presiding judge then ordered that he could no longer consider Rodney's bail application and remanded him until his next court date, December 12. Up to Thursday, Rodney had been in custody for 20 days.

That decision came after the prosecution informed the court that the examiner's report on Rodney's vehicle and the black box showed nothing of value that would enhance the Crown's case other than him driving over the speed limit, given that the area where the accident took place has a speed limit of 50 kilometres.

Rodney's legal team of Faith Salmon and Lambert Johnson will have to craft new and compelling arguments as to why an upstanding member of the community and a devoted Christian, serving as head deacon of the Belmont Seventh-day Adventist Church, should be granted bail. At a previous bail hearing, the prosecution labelled the accused unfit to be granted bail, claiming that he would not turn up for his trial, having allegedly left the scene of the accident.

Rodney's charges stem from a motor vehicle crash that claimed the lives of 15-year-old schoolgirl Lavecia Forrester and her 39-year-old mother, Petrina Wallace; Oneil Allen, and his mother, 65-year-old Angela Samuel; and 54-year-old Janet Thompson.

It is reported that about 3:30 p.m., the five persons and another passenger were aboard a grey Toyota Noah being driven by Rodney along the Bluefields main road, when it collided with a truck, which was travelling in the opposite direction.