How is it possible that the driver of the truck that struck and killed a school child who just got off her school bus was released from custody the same night he was arrested? I was flabbergasted and called the Prosecutor to find out for myself. I found out that non-premeditated death by fault in a traffic accident carries a maximum penalty of just over a year imprisonment. So to hold the culprit in police lock-ups longer than 6 hours seems not to be allowed or possible!
Parliamentarians: get to work and change this law! I am told that in Holland such a change was made about 15 years ago, where now if because of negligence on a driver’s part he/she causes a traffic accident that causes the death or injury of another person, he/she can be sentenced to up to 6 years in jail. And while you are at it, make it a law to force all traffic in both directions to have to stop when a school-bus with flashing lights is stopped in traffic to take on or let off students. In the mean time the police should not prohibit the school bus drivers from stopping their bus "cross-ways" on the road while loading or off loading school children, as aggravating as this may be for other drivers.
If the stories in the papers are correct, this driver doesn’t have legal residency on St. Maarten and doesn’t have a local driver’s license. Presuming that the man was not driving his own truck, what, I wonder are the responsibilities of the person or company that hired him to drive the truck in the first place?
Of course, nothing will bring back little Miss Lynch. Condolences to her family.
Michael J. Ferrier