KINGSTON, Jamaica, June 11 – Global sprinting superstar Usain Bolt could face criminal charges arising from Sunday’s one vehicle accident in Jamaica, according to a high ranked police officer.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Glenmore Hinds was quoted in a daily newspaper as saying criminal charges can be laid against the 100m and 200m world record holder if investigations suggest that he is at fault in the incident that took place early Sunday morning as the athlete drove home after attending a party the previous night.
The double Olympic sprint champion slammed his luxury BMW into a guard rail in the vicinity of the Half Way Tree, a busy transportation hub in Kingston, the island’s capital city.
“No one is above the law and justice will be served with equity and thorough investigations will be undertaken just the same,” Hinds is quoted as saying.
“We operate a legal regime here in Jamaica. All persons who are found guilty before the courts will go through the same process, and will be charged accordingly.”
According to Jamaican law, drivers involved in accidents have 24 hours to report to the police and a police spokesman said they were expecting Bolt to report the incident by Monday morning.
On Sunday, Bolt’s publicist Carole Beckford had confirmed the incident and told members of the media that the 25-year-old had gone home to rest, having escaped any injuries.
Bolt had just returned home after a series of races in Europe, winning all three, and was expected to prepare for the Jamaican Olympic Trials set for June 29-July 1.
Former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell who lost to Bolt in two of his three races, was also at the scene of the accident, it was reported but was in another vehicle.
Sunday’s crash was Bolt’s second in three years after he rolled another BMW on a highway in 2009 but only walked away with minor abrasions to his foot.
