Senior Reporter
jensen.lavende@guardian.co.tt
Relatives of Neil Ballai, the driver Kiss Baking Company driver who was killed in a hit-and-run accident last week, are hurt that the man who is alleged to have caused the accident was freed by police without any charges being laid against him.
However, they say they are confident they will get justice.
On Monday, the Central Division’s senior superintendent Garvin Simon told Guardian Media the suspect, a Defence Force member, was questioned and released over the weekend after he surrendered to police.
Speaking about the suspect’s release at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, yesterday, one relative, who did not want to be identified, said: “Of course we are hurt but you know, let’s just hope that justice prevails, let’s just hope that the truth unfolds.”
The relative added: “He can say what he wants but he will have to live with what he did, if he actually did it. That is what hurts the most, you drove off? Did you call for help? You didn’t call no one for help? You said nothing? You just left our relative there to die. You left someone else there, too, there was the loader there. He was injured. If you had stopped, maybe you could have rendered some assistance, some kind of assistance!”
Ballai, 55, of Eccles Trace, Spring Village, Valsayn, was driving the company’s truck south along the Solomon Hochoy Highway in Freeport last Thursday, when the driver of a black car attempted to overtake and clipped Ballai’s truck. The truck veered off the road and landed on its side, pinning Ballai. He died on the scene while his 34-year-old co-worker Terrence Jagasar, of Cumuto, sustained injuries and had to be treated at hospital.
In a media release a day after the incident, the Defence Force said the regiment member involved, “voluntarily turned himself in under the supervision of a competent military authority”. The release assured that the man was “exhibiting full cooperation with the police as investigations continue.”
Ballai’s relative told the media they hope the driver of the vehicle whose dashcam captured the entire incident is found so they can thank him personally and remained hopeful they will receive justice.
“We hope we can get justice. We appreciate the help from the public, the dashcam footage, the other photos that were shared, you know. We appreciate that the dashcam footage was shared because that is what brought this person to justice or made them turn themselves in. We really appreciate the support that we got from the public.”
