NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Reports say that an Illinois man has been charged after an ATV crash in The Bahamas over the weekend that killed one person.
Bahamian news site Tribune242 said that James Darling, 21, of Park Forest has been charged with vehicular manslaughter and having dangerous drugs on his person.
The charges are based on a fatal event that happened on Sunday at Arawak Cay, a 100-acre island in Nassau that was built by humans.
In the early hours of November 11, just before 11:30 a.m., Darling is said to have killed his passenger, James Palmer, when the UTV he was driving flipped over and hit Palmer on the neck.
Darling was also apparently found to have nine grams of marijuana on him while he was at the police station after the accident.
A GoFundMe page set up by Darling’s family says that he and Palmer stopped in Nassau as an excursion while on a Carnival ship with two other friends. The fundraiser also says that the incident happened less than 24 hours into a “much-anticipated boys’ getaway.”
People in the family wrote on the GoFundMe, “What was supposed to be a happy weekend turned into a nightmare.”
According to news sources in the Bahamas, the car involved was an ATV. However, family members said on GoFundMe that the victim had a UTV.
The police haven’t said how old Palmer is or where he is from.
As reported by Tribune242, Darling pleaded guilty to the drug charge. However, the murder charge will be sent to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).
A voluntary bill of indictment (VBI) in the Bahamas lets the attorney-general file a bill in the Supreme Court against a person charged with an indictable offense. This takes away the magistrate’s power to examine the charge.
According to Our News, Darling’s bail was set at $40,000 and he was told to be electronically monitored by a judge.
Darling was also put on probation for the drug charge and told to bring a police record back to court on March 20, which is when his VBI will be given.
Reports say that Darling could get a $500 fine or three months in jail if he breaks the terms of his probation.
Source: Illinois man killed during cruise ship excursion, friend charged
