By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

RESIDENTS of the Fox Hill community were outraged and called for an end to daily high speed prison convoys yesterday when an elderly woman was left fighting for her life in hospital after the prison bus collided with her car.

The bus, driven by a Royal Bahamas Police Force officer, and carrying eight prisoners, charged with armed robbery and murder, and two prison guards, was travelling south on Fox Hill Road when it hit a car coming out of a side corner on Rose Street.

Sheila Rolle, 77, was driving the blue Daihatsu

Terios when the accident occurred shortly before noon.

The impact caused the prison bus to flip on its side. The driver’s side of Mrs Rolle’s small SUV was severely damaged. She was on her way to the Fox Hill community centre, which is opposite to where the accident happened.

When The Tribune arrived at the scene, scores of Fox Hillians had gathered behind yellow crime scene tape as police carried out initial investigations. Shards of glass, blood and burned rubber littered the street.

EMS officials in a nearby ambulance were assisting Mrs Rolle who was bloodied after sustaining serious head and neck injuries. A short time later she was taken to hospital.

While the incident left many of the residents shaken, they said it was no surprise as every day, prisoners are transported to the courts at dangerous speeds. In 2011, a collision with another prison vehicle resulted in two inmates and a guard being hospitalised.

“This is just something that was bound to happen,” said Wesley Neely, “because we as residents of Fox Hill we go through this every day. Sometimes the bus would be like 50 feet away from the park and going up to like 80 (or) 90 miles per hour.

“They don’t have a chance to stop. The bus would actually go on two wheels and every day we have to be so careful watching these buses go through here. Morning and evening, everyday. This here was just bound to happen. So that’s why we are really not surprised about it.”

Another resident, who did not want to be identified, raised concern about children in the area that are at risk of serious injury due to the convoy’s dangerous speeds.

“It passes the school where the young children have to cross over by the park. Then we have the cotton trees dropping the little buds in the road it makes it very slippery. So I think they need to reduce the speed when they get in this area.”

Family Reaction

Theodore Rolle, the victim’s 60-year-old son, said his initial reaction was one of shock when he heard of what had happened to his mother.  But he could not say much about her condition because authorities did not let him near her, he told The Tribune.

“The cops them wouldn’t let me get close to her to even see what it is. The closest I been was the back of the ambulance and they wouldn’t even let me put my foot up to look in her face. I just got a telephone call from one of my friends and I rushed down here.

“I am very sceptical about her condition, because I don’t know if she is going to make it or what. All I get knowledge of is that she is bleeding all over her face.”

Mr Rolle agreed that officials needed to do something about the speed at which the prison bus travels.

“Everybody talking about how they speeding and stuff around here. Through thunderstorm and lightening, especially how these things out the tree fall and making the road slippery. They don’t care about nobody life. They don’t care at all,” he claimed.

Police and Prison officials deny fault

While several Fox Hill residents expressed anger that the prison convoy makes the area unsafe as it passes, Inspector Carlos Mitchell of the Road Traffic Division, said it is a custom that an outrider clears the way. He said he could not say if speed was a factor in the incident.

“I can’t say. We are still gathering all of the physical evidence to determine exactly what has transpired here,” Inspector Mitchell said.

“We have not yet received complaints of (speeding) that would cause a level of concern for the  police department. But we are always looking at ways that we can safely transport persons in custody that will be safe to members of the public and also to police officers.”

He advised motorists to yield and pull to the side when police sirens are on.

Prison Superintendent Patrick Wright said the convoy only travels at speeds safe to motorists and those on board the bus.

“We have dangerous inmates in our custody and the police does the escort. So they are travelling at a speed that is not in any harm to the public and there is always an outrider clearing the way making sure they get those persons to court on time,” Mr Pinder said.

He explained that it was an executive decision of whether it was time to review how prisoners are transported.

Guards and Prisoners left in stable condition

Up to press time, police said they could not give an account of the condition of the three police officers who were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

However, eyewitnesses raised concern for several of the inmates who were injured. They claimed the prisoners, who were conscious at the scene, were hurt, but were not taken to hospital right away.

Inspector Mitchell said while they were taken to the Fox Hill Police Station initially, medical personnel were assessing each of them for injuries. The group was expected to be taken to the hospital for further treatment.