ST. CROIX — A jury found a reckless driver who caused a fatal car crash in 2019 guilty of involuntary manslaughter after deliberating for about two hours and 45 minutes Wednesday in Superior Court.
Daryl Jean-Baptiste, 26, caused the death of 24-year-old Davindra Ramsundar Jr. after crashing into his vehicle during the early morning on November 3, 2019 while speeding and passing vehicles on Queen Mary Highway near the Sion Farm Shopping Center.
The jury returned a mixed verdict, finding Jean-Baptiste guilty of involuntary manslaughter and not guilty of negligent homicide by means of a motor vehicle. Both crimes are punishable by imprisonment for not more than five years.
“Justice has been served,” Assistant Attorney General Amie Simpson, who prosecuted the case, said after the jury returned its verdict.
The car crash, captured on surveillance video shown to the jury during trial, occurred after Jean-Baptiste overtook other vehicles by driving in the opposite lane of traffic. Jean-Baptiste and Ramsundar were both traveling west. After Jean-Baptiste passed the vehicles, he crashed into the victim as Ramsundar was making a right-hand turn into the Sion Farm Shopping Center.
Family members of both Jean-Baptiste and Ramsundar filled Judge Yvette Ross-Edwards’ courtroom during the trial, which began Monday with jury selection and continued Tuesday with testimony. Attorneys presented their closing arguments Wednesday before the jury began its deliberations.
Negligent homicide by means of a motor vehicle occurs when it is proven a victim died by a motorist who was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or who operated a vehicle in a reckless manner, according to the law. Involuntary manslaughter is the unlawful killing of someone without malice aforethought in the commission of an unlawful act, not amounting to a felony; or in the culpable omission of some legal duty; or in the commission of a lawful act which might produce death, in an unlawful manner, or without due caution and circumspection.
Simpson told jurors the government had to prove several elements beyond a reasonable doubt to convict Jean-Baptiste of negligent homicide by motor vehicle. First, she said the government had to establish that the incident occurred — which she argued was done through the testimony of police officer Jayda Christopher. Simpson, who noted the next element was impairment, said the responding officer smelled alcohol on Jean-Baptiste’s breath, and that the defendant admitted to having two drinks. Although Jean-Baptiste passed all three field sobriety tests, Simpson told jurors that did not rule out alcohol as a contributing factor.
Alternatively, the prosecution could prove guilt by showing reckless driving. Simpson said Jean-Baptiste admitted to driving 60 mph in a 35-mph zone and illegally passed vehicles by driving in the oncoming lane. She urged jurors to consider video footage showing the relative speed of the other vehicles and said his actions led to the death of Ramsundar.
To support the involuntary manslaughter charge, Simpson said the prosecution needed to show Jean-Baptiste was driving unlawfully — which, she argued, was clear from his speeding and lane violation at the time of the crash.
Defense attorney Renee Dowling, who declined to comment on the verdict, told the jury that the integrity of the video was suspect because the Virgin Islands Police Department failed to establish a chain of custody. She suggested the video could have been sped up or slowed down, noting it was collected by a police officer instead of a forensic technician.
Dowling also said the prosecution failed to prove who hit who because no evidence was presented to show the point of impact. Although Jean-Baptiste admitted to drinking at 2 a.m., she pointed out the crash occurred hours later, around 5 or 6 a.m. She emphasized he passed all field sobriety tests and was not impaired.
Dowling told jurors the medical examiner determined that Ramsundar died from blunt force trauma to the head, pointing out he was not wearing a seatbelt. She referenced a photo of a speaker with blood on it and argued Ramsundar was fatally injured by the speaker, not by Jean-Baptiste.
“Sometimes an accident is truly that — an accident,” Dowling said.
In rebuttal, Simpson said the defense wanted jurors to believe the video had somehow changed since the 2019 crash. She encouraged them to evaluate the footage by comparing the speed of the other vehicles. She said the point of impact was evident from the video, noting that officers also took photos and interviewed witnesses.
Simpson also said Ramsundar had alcohol in his vehicle and was not wearing a seatbelt. Even if he was sober and was wearing a seatbelt, she said the impact of the car crash was “horrific.” She said the victim could have drove in a way that contributed to the accident but stressed that did not happen. She said he could not have anticipated the defendant driving down the wrong side of the road. As for the speaker, Simpson argued it would not have caused injury if the defendant had not created the dangerous conditions in the first place.
The jury convicted Jean-Baptiste of involuntary manslaughter after two previous mistrials, according to court documents.
Jean-Baptiste, who was released from custody after his arrest pending trial, first went to trial on February 6, 2023, when a jury was selected. The following day, two jurors were replaced with alternates after closed-door discussions. After opening statements and testimony began, further issues arose regarding the same jurors who were excused, prompting Judge Jomo Meade to declare a mistrial.
The second trial began with jury selection on February 27, 2023. On the second day, Dowling failed to appear. Meade informed the parties that she had emailed the clerk about an eye doctor appointment and then declared another mistrial.
A sentencing date for Jean-Baptiste has not yet been scheduled.
