Driver in Labour Day Tragedy charged: 4 counts of manslaughter through negligence

Driver in Labour Day Tragedy charged: 4 counts of manslaughter through negligence
Travis Sawyer

Shackled by his feet, with is handcuffed behind his back, 22-year-old Travis Sawyer made the slow walk to Magistrate’s Court to learn his fate.

He appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Subusola Swain, charged with four counts of manslaughter by negligence.

According to court dockets on Friday, June 1, Sawyer by means of unlawful harm, negligently caused the deaths of Tabitha Haye, Tami Patrice Gibson, Dianna Gray Ferguson and Kathleen Fernander.

On the day in question, during the Labor Day march, police say an unmanned F150 truck struck dozens of persons including children, before hitting a parked Nissan Marche on the corner of East and Shirley Streets. Two women died on the scene, one woman died in Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) and the other in Doctors Hospital. 26 others were treated for their injuries.

Sawyer was not required to enter a plea to the charges and was denied bail.

He was remanded to the department of corrections until Nov 13.