Relatives of child killed in Agricola crash say beating of driver was uncalled for

The family of seven-year-old Ciara Benjamin, who was killed when a truck crashed into her last Saturday, is sympathising with the truck driver.

In a Facebook post, an aunt Kendora Marks, with whom Ciara Benjamin lived for just under a year before her horrifying death last Saturday, spoke out in defense of the driver.

Marks has wished the driver, Danion Welcome, a speedy recovery, saying that he did not set out to kill her niece.

She said he has a family of his own and could imagine the trauma they are also going through.

“He did not get up and say, ‘let me go and kill somebody’s child today.’

“Many of you are drivers…it could happen to any of us…that man did not deserve that beating he and anybody who knows our family (know that) we are not people who bash people; we are not heartless.

“That man is traumatized too. For the rest of his life he has to live with this.”

The aunt said her family is forgiving and has always been a forgiving family.

“And that man [driver] has his own family; he didn’t just drop out of the world and drive a truck one and decide he gonna hit down somebody child,” Marks said.

The driver was severely beaten and his truck was torched following the accident.

“All of that was uncalled for and I know that he is traumatized…I could only begin to imagine what he is going through,” Marks said.

Mr Welcome has since been released on bail of $100, 000. No charges have been made just yet and his attorney James Bond said a determination could be made by Friday.

The woman who served as Ciara Benjamin’s babysitter for the past five years was attempting to cross the road with her when the accident happened. She remains traumatised and has been unable to provide the Police with a statement.

“That girl is physiologically damaged right now; she can’t even speak properly…do you know what that means? For the rest of her life she has to live with the fact that she had to go through that,” Marks said.

Marks, who is the sister to Ciara Benjamin’s father, Orlando, said that the multiple accounts and rumours surrounding the incident has not allowed the family to grieve in peace.

“My brother just wants to grieve in peace. In peace! Nobody understands the pain! The pain our family is going through, nobody understands,” a crying Marks stressed.

She said that the family would like to see an end to all the speculation surrounding the accident. She said her niece was just like a daughter to her.

“Ciara was not just your ordinary neighbour child, she was loving, Ciara was a daughter to me not my niece, a daughter!”

Marks went live on Facebook Tuesday evening.

She also witnessed the post-mortem of Ciara Benjamin, which confirmed that the child died from multiple crush injuries as a result of the accident.