By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A 32-year-old man was sentenced to two years in prison yesterday for causing the deaths of two people in a fatal traffic accident on East Street South in October 2023.

Michanko Bethel was convicted of two counts of vehicular manslaughter before Senior Justice Gregory Hilton.

According to court documents, Bethel was driving a blue 2007 Mitsubishi south along East Street South near Cavalry Deliverance Church around 2am on October 16, 2023, when he attempted to overtake another vehicle. In the process, he collided with a black Yamaha XTV motorcycle carrying three passengers and travelling north on the same road.

While Bethel and a female passenger on the motorcycle were treated for their injuries, the male motorcycle driver and his girlfriend died at the scene.

The male victim was identified as 27-year-old Deandre Woodside. His sister, Latonya Marshall, described him to The Tribune as a “hustler who loved riding bikes,” adding that he was the life of the party and had a magnetic personality.

The female victim was identified as 37-year-old Rhashan Tatem “Pinky” Rolle.

Justice Hilton said the two-year sentence took into account Bethel’s early guilty plea. The nine months he spent on remand will be deducted from his sentence. Additionally, Bethel has been ordered to pay $10,000 in compensation to each of the victims’ families by December 31, 2027.

During sentencing submissions, Tennielle Bain of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions cited Bethel’s young age, clean record, and early plea as mitigating factors. However, she also highlighted aggravating elements, including the seriousness of the offence and the fact that Bethel’s vehicle was unlicenced and uninsured.

Bain emphasised that Bethel failed to drive carefully while overtaking and that the vehicle had no legal right to be on the road. She also underscored the emotional toll on the victims’ families, noting that a third motorcycle passenger, not part of the current charges, spent an extended period in the ICU, lost a limb, and is now wheelchair-bound.

To serve as a deterrent, Bain had recommended a sentence of two and a half years and financial compensation for the victims’ families.

In response, Sonia Timothy Knowles, Bethel’s attorney, said her client lost his job following his arrest. She added that he has a young son and had already served eight to nine months on remand.