Cab Driver Walks Free After Causing Five Deaths. A Westmoreland cab driver, Delroy Rodney, literally escaped severe punishment. He pleaded guilty to causing the deaths of five passengers in a 2023 traffic collision.
On Thursday, February 20, 2025, a Westmoreland Circuit Court Justice handed Rodney an 18-month sentence, suspended for three years. This means Rodney, the cab driver, will not spend a day in prison for causing death by dangerous driving.
The sentence left relatives and friends of victims who died in a taxi operated by 47-year-old cab driver Delroy Rodney numbed.
On November 13, 2023, Rodney was driving a vehicle with seven people on board, heading towards Whitehouse in Westmoreland.
The crash occurred on the Bluefield main road around 3:30 PM.
According to police reports, a vehicle in front of Rodney slowed down, causing him to swerve. His Toyota Noah collided with a truck traveling in the opposite direction and then hit a tree.
Three occupants of the Noah died at the scene. Two others were transported to the hospital. They later succumbed to their injuries.
The cab driver fled the scene of the fatal crash but later surrendered to the police, who later arrested and charged him.
The fatalities included 15-year-old schoolgirl Lavecia Forrester and her 39-year-old mother, Petrina Wallace. O’Neil Allen and his 65-year-old mother, Angela Samuel, were both from Mount Edgecombe. Additionally, 54-year-old Janet Thompson was from McAlpine.
One injured passenger survived the deadly crash.
Sabrina Marshall, the daughter of 54-year-old Janet Thompson, spoke to The Gleaner. She expressed her shock that the cab driver did not get an immediate prison term.
I’m not suggesting he should have received the highest sentence. However, I believe he should have faced some form of prison time.
It sends the wrong message if someone can drive recklessly and walk away without consequences.”
The cab driver showed regret during the sentencing hearing.
During his sentencing hearing for five counts of causing death by dangerous driving, Rodney appeared before High Court Justice Courtney Daye. He expressed remorse and apologized to the families of the victims who were present in the courtroom.
Justice Daye sentenced the disheartened cab driver to 18 months in prison for each count. However, all sentences will run concurrently. They will be suspended for three years.
The judge also ordered that Rodney cannot hold or obtain a driver’s license for the next three years. Rodney must also pay $500,000 in compensation for each offense.
Daye highlighted that the maximum prison sentence for causing death by dangerous driving is five years. However, Rodney received a considerable sentence reduction. This was due to his previously clean record, a positive social inquiry report, and his expression of remorse.
Despite this, the judge pointed out that the cab driver did not fulfill his responsibilities as a taxi operator.