Woman goes free in drink driving case

By GIDEON KINDIWA
A WOMAN, charged with dangerous driving and causing the death of two people, was freed by the Waigani committal court due to “inconclusive” police investigations.
Magistrate Cosmas Bidar, on July 1, discharged Lorraine Kwarara because “police did not investigate another vehicle involved in the accident which makes the evidence insufficient to commit Kwarara to the National Court.”
“The main factor in road traffic accidents is a fault on the part of the driver, and in this case a fault in the driver’s (Kwarara’s) part has not been established,” he said.
“A fault may include the driver being intoxicated, was speeding, was exchanging lanes every now and then and so on.
“The evidence in the police file did not show any of those.”
According to the police brief, Kwarara, 48, from Central’s Rigo, was alleged to be under the influence of alcohol and was speeding while driving a Ford ranger double-cabin and went off the road at Manasupe traffic lights, Waigani.
Six people were on board the vehicle when it crashed, leaving two dead and four injured.
One of the deceased was Kwarara’s son.
They were on their way home from a fundraising at a nightclub in Port Moresby.
According to Kwarara’s submission by her lawyer, David Kayok from the Public Solicitor’s office, there was another vehicle that hit them at the rear, forcing them off the road.
After viewing submissions and the evidence, Bidar struck out the case as the evidence was insufficient.
“We have to live with that sad fact of life because two people have died,” he said.