The family of Lawrence Carmichael, the driver of the police vehicle involved in the deadly accident on the Mahaica Bridge on February 2, 2022, believes that he is being treated unfairly by the state.
Samantha Carmichael during an interview with our affiliate podcast, “Below De Belt’‘, told host Sherod Duncan that her son is still suffering emotionally and physically from the incident. “He is not eating and has become withdrawn from family and friends.
His uncle Sheldon Carmichael insisted that his nephew was doing his job on that day. He posited that the whole incident could have been avoided if Christopher Bhagwandat, who was an unlicensed driver and transporting a underage schoolgirl, had stopped when he was first instructed to do so by the police.
The family believes that Corporal Carmichael should ntt have been charged since he was following instructions from his superiors to intercept the car after the driver refused a lawful instruction to pull over twice before.
Lawrence Carmichael, who is attached to the Mahaicony Police Station appeared at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court on March 2nd where he was charged with causing the deaths of Christopher Bhagwandat, 21, and his 16-year-old girlfriend, Sheereda Persaud by “Dangerous Driving”. According to a release by the police, Carmichael was not required to plea to the charge and bail was opposed but the magistrate did not agree and granted Carmichael bail in the sum of $1.5M.
