The Jamaican driver of the garbage truck that overturned three years ago which claimed the life of seven-year-old Clan Carthy Primary School student Benjamin Bair pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the Home Circuit Court on Wednesday.
Alten Brooks was charged in 2019 after Bair was crushed to death on the school grounds on October 28.
It was reported that at about 4:30 p.m., Bair was at school when the garbage truck that had been picking up trash hit a taxi and then overturned on him.
Brooks and his two sidemen fled the scene.
Three days later Brooks turned himself in to the police.
It was said that it was an old truck that was not roadworthy. This was disclosed by Brooks and was confirmed during an examination of the vehicle after the tragic incident.
The examiners found there was excessive free play of the steering wheel due to worn defective components and the tires on the truck were worn and not roadworthy.
On Wednesday, Brooks’ attorney, Davion Vassell requested that his client’s bail be extended pending sentencing.
Vassell said Brooks has been on bail since 2019 and has been abiding by the bail conditions.
Brooks will be sentenced in January before Justice Leighton Pusey.
