I try to hold brakes, but it wasn’t stopping

Roger Williams. File photo

Defence attorney Richard Rowe has told the High Court that he intends to call his own expert witness to testify in the trial involving his client Roger Williams.

Williams is on trial for two counts of manslaughter and two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

He was charged after the bus he was driving in December 2015 crashed along the Cane Garden Bay main road, injuring some 18 cruise ship passengers, and killing two female Americans – 67 year-old Mary Kettner and 53-year-old Dana Husereau. All of the persons injured or killed were inside Williams’ bus.

Williams’ attorney told the court that the defence witness who will be called is a mechanic.

The mechanic is being summoned to challenge some of the evidence that is expected to be given by the prosecution’s expert witness – an accident reconstruction specialist.

The accident reconstruction specialist is scheduled to give evidence before Justice Nicola Byer today, June 28.

Meanwhile, an interview police previously conducted with Williams was played in the court this week.

The accused bus operator could be heard telling law enforcers that the accident happened as a result of mechanical problems he began to experience while he was driving on the day of the fatal crash.

“I put the bus in second gear like usual, and it start going down the hill (on Cane Garden Bay road).”

“On my way down the hill, I feel the bus like it pop out of gear and the bus start to pick up speed. I try to put it back in gear, but I realised that it wasn’t going. I try to hold the brakes, but it wasn’t stopping,” Williams said.

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