Magistrate Franklyn Williams on Wednesday ordered a Grand Bahama woman to pay a $5,000 fine more than a year after she was convicted of killing a tourist in the course of dangerous driving.
Magistrate Williams said it would have been unsuitable to sentence Cooper to prison for the killing of Dottie Pickering, a 45-year-old Ohio woman.
Police said Cooper, a Dominos Pizza Delivery driver, was speeding at the time of the accident on January 23, 2004 when her vehicle collided with a taxi-mini bus carrying Ms. Pickering and other tourists.
Ms. Pickering was ejected from the bus and was impaled on a fence.
“I feel it’s a very small price to pay for somebody’s life,” said Charles Powell, the victim’s husband.
“I really have a hard time talking about it. It’s really unbelievable that you can go out and kill somebody and put a price tag of $5,000 on it. That’s unbelievable in my mind.
I was expecting at least some jail time and a fine. She turned my life upside down, literally.”
Mr. Powell said since the tragic accident occurred, Cooper never apologized. In fact, he claimed that the night of the accident, while they were waiting to be treated at the hospital, he asked Cooper if she was alright, but she never responded.
Ms. Pickering’s daughter, Kelly Hill, called the judge’s decision “sickening.”
“The first thing that came into my mind was that the court had failed, failed me, failed my mom, failed our family,” Ms. Hill said.
“I thought for sure that a fine of $5,000 and maybe two years in prison-you know. She’s guilty of doing it and you need to pay the time for your crime, accident or not. She has yet to apologize to the family, which is the worst feeling ever.”
She said she also had asked for Cooper’s apology, but was told by Cooper that she would speak to her at another time.
Both Ms. Hill and Mr. Powell flew in from Ohio on Tuesday to be present for the magistrate’s decision and were expected to leave the island on Wednesday.
They said the whole matter has left them with a bad perception of Grand Bahama.
“As bad as it is to say,” Ms. Hill said, “I will never come here again.”
While not saying what further action the family will take, she said, “It doesn’t end here.”
Cooper, who was surrounded by family and friends outside the courthouse, wished not to comment.
One of her supporters said, “Thank God it’s over. Now let’s put this behind us.”
Attorney Ntshonda Tynes represented Cooper.
By: Courtnee Romer, The Bahama Journal
