University of the West Indies (UWI) student Aaliyah Dimple Popalie will face paper committal proceedings for allegedly causing the death of a police officer and injuring another in an accident on the Solomon Hochoy Highway last October.State attorney Lisa Singh told Couva Magistrate Indra Ramoo-Haynes the prosecution will begin paper committal proceedings in the matter.
She said 24 witness statements have been filed thus far and four others are in the offing.Popalie, 28 of Pargar Singh Avenue, El Socorro Ext, San Juan, appeared charged with driving dangerously and causing the death of PC Renauld Dopson, as well as causing grievous bodily harm to WPC Wendy Ann Timothy.
Both offences were allegedly committed on October 17, 2010, on the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway. Charges were laid by Sgt Gregory Worrell who is on pre-retirement leave and unable to attend court, Singh revealed yesterday.
The state attorney said the statements have not yet been exchanged with defence counsel Sophia Chote but will be done shortly. Chote was not present at yesterday's hearing.
Ramoo-Haynes adjourned the matter to May 21, 2012.Popalie is on $200,000 bail. It is alleged that the 28-year-old was behind the wheel of a vehicle heading south on the Solomon Hochoy Highway near Couva when the officers were struck. Dopson died on the spot, while Timothy suffered multiple injuries.
At the time of the accident, Dopson who was attached to the Couva Municipal Police and Timothy, who was attached to Brasso Police Post, were directing traffic in the vicinity of road repair works.