A woman charged in connection with a fatal 2023 road collision has pleaded not guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, setting the stage for a trial more than two years after the crash that claimed the life of 18-year-old Keane Gregoire.
According to Antigua News Room, La-Shanti Cooper entered her not guilty plea in court recently. The matter has been scheduled for a case management hearing on September 25, at which a trial date is expected to be determined.
Gregoire died on May 19, 2023, one day after the vehicle in which he was travelling as a passenger crashed along All Saints Road near the John I. Martin Race Track.
Police allege that Cooper, who was 19 years old at the time, was driving a Toyota BB at high speed when she lost control of the vehicle. Investigators say the car left the roadway, struck a column, and crossed onto the opposite side of the road. Gregoire sustained multiple injuries in the collision and died in hospital the following day.
Authorities further allege that Cooper initially told investigators she had not been driving and claimed the driver had fled the scene following the crash. After conducting their investigation, officers charged her with causing death by dangerous driving.
With Cooper maintaining her innocence, the case is expected to proceed to trial once a date is formally set at the upcoming case management hearing.
