Trinidad soldier charged for a death in hit and run case

Trinidad Police charged a member of the national defence force in a case of hit and run accident that caused the death of a man.

18th of July 2024

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Trinidad and Tobago: The police department charged a member of the national defence force who is accused in a case of hit and run accident that caused the death of a man. The step was taken by the police authority after the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions on Tuesday, 16 July. The fatal incident was recorded on the Solomon Hochoy Highway, which was rooted on Thursday, 28 March.

The accused individual of the hit and run death in Trinidad is identified as a 29-year-old man, whose identity is disclosed by his official name, Jelani Mapp. Jelani Mapp is a member of the defence force who serves his duty as a soldier. The accused soldier is laid with multiple charges by law enforcement in the case of causing death by dangerous driving.

The dead victim who lost his life in the fatal accident in Trinidad hit and run case is identified in the police investigation. The deceased is mentioned in the police reports as a 55-year-old man, whose documented name is quoted as Neil Ballai. Neil Ballai was a resident of Eccles Trace, located in Spring Village of Valsayn.

It is reported that the victim of the accident was an employee of Kiss Baking Company Limited, where he worked as a driver for more than fifteen years. On the day of the fatal hit and run accident in Trinidad, the man was with his one co-worker, who also sustained injuries in the act. The co-worker is identified as a 34-year-old man who is named Terrence Jagasar, who is a resident of Cumuto, Trinidad.

As per the reports about the hit and run death in Trinidad, the victim man was driving along the Solomon Hochoy Highway in his company vehicle on the day of the life-taking incident. The victim was with a co-worker who was in the passenger seat, and both were at their work when the motor car of the accused entered the scene.

It is mentioned in the reports that the accused soldier was also driving along the highway when he met with an accident with the victims. The suspect was driving a Hyundai Ioniq motor car of black colour and was at an uncontrollable speed. It is said that the company vehicle of the victim came in the way of the suspect’s car at speed, which resulted in a collision.

The incident was captured in the dash cam of the victim’s vehicle, which recorded the accident, after which the culprit left the site without stopping. The hit and run accident case of Trinidad left the two victims with injuries, among whom the driver, Neil Ballai, lost his life. On the other hand, the co-worker was admitted to the hospital for treatment of his injuries.

The case was reported to the police department, which took the charge and initiated the probing of the hit and run accident at a highway in Trinidad. The security cameras were checked around the area. In the recording of a security camera in Preysal Minutes, the vehicle of the suspect was spotted. The investigation led the responding police officers to the soldier who owned the vehicle involved in the crime.

Subsequently, the accused soldier was arrested by the police department, after which the custody of the suspect was handed over to the defence force. After the process of interrogation, the accused is charged with hit and run offence of Trinidad and booked for causing death by rash driving, driving without an insurance certificate, failing to stop, and failing to provide aid.