🚗 Woman's death under friend's car ruled as misadventure

A coroner's inquest has ruled the death of Jasmine Janise James (31), who was accidentally run over by her friend, as a misadventure. The incident occurred on the evening of October 4, 2020, at the Ocean Pointe condo complex where James lived in West Bay. James, who was intoxicated, fell between the car and a parking block after being dropped home by her sober friend. In a panic to help, her friend left the car in drive and accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake, causing the car to roll over James. 🚘

Despite immediate efforts from neighbours and emergency services, James was pronounced dead at the hospital. The autopsy revealed that James had been trapped under the car long enough to asphyxiate, and the official cause of death was mechanical asphyxia. Initially, the investigating officer recommended charging the driver with causing death by dangerous driving. However, after considering various legal reasons and the findings of two accident reconstructionists, the office of the director of public prosecutions declined to do so. Both experts concluded that James was prone on the ground when the car went over her and had not been knocked down by her friend. 🏥

The court heard that James had been very unsteady on her feet due to intoxication, and her friend's attempt to help had tragically backfired. The experts agreed that the driver's panicked response and accidental oversight in not putting the car in park were unfortunate circumstances, but there had been no intent to harm. The jury declared James's death as one of misadventure, and Magistrate Angelyn Hernandez stated that while the incident was "tragic and unfortunate," no one was "legally to blame". ⚖️