THE driver of a garbage truck, which killed Observer vendor Desreane Irving and Allison Burke and injured two other women in Half-Way-Tree, St Andrew earlier this month, was offered bail when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.

Irving died on the spot while Burke succumbed to her injuries after spending five days in critical condition.

The driver, Aston Williams, fled the scene of the accident and handed himself over to the police 14 days later.
Williams' attorney Kenneth Ferguson yesterday pleaded for mercy for his client, telling the court that Williams was traumatised after seeing the mangled bodies of the accident victims.

"He fled the scene because he actually knew somebody on the scene. When he saw the bodies he ran. He contacted me and said he wanted to sort himself out," Ferguson told Resident Magistrate Glen Brown.
But the magistrate was not so easily moved.
"Well, the crown has to sort itself out. He will run again," RM Brown said.

"I don't think so," Ferguson replied.
"He should have run to the police station," RM Brown said.
But despite an objection to bail by the prosecution, who claimed Williams was a possible flight risk because he fled the scene and took two weeks to hand himself over to the police, RM Brown granted Williams bail in the sum of $200,000 with one surety.

"He turned himself in, so there is no question of him being a flight risk. You have any passport, sir?" RM Brown then asked Williams.

"No sir. I not going anywhere, sir," Williams answered meekly.

The accused man was then ordered to return to court on September 8, when the case will come up for mention.

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