Kishroy Harry Fined EC$8,000 for Crashing into Cyclist Tahjé Browne and Fleeing the Scene

The Vincentian national who struck national cyclist Tahjé Browne on Sir Sydney Walling Highway and fled the scene has been fined EC$8,000 after pleading guilty to four traffic-related offences — a sentence that concludes the criminal proceedings but has immediately sparked public anger over the absence of any compensation for the cyclist who appeared before the court in a wheelchair to describe his pain and suffering.

The Sentence

Twenty-four-year-old Kishroy Harry of St. Johnson's Village, St. Vincent, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel, who imposed a fine of EC$2,000 on each of the four charges — dangerous driving, driving without the owner's consent, driving without a valid driver's licence, and driving without insurance coverage — or two months imprisonment on each count in default of payment.

Harry received a one-third reduction due to his guilty plea. The 12 days he spent on remand between June 24 and July 5 were also deducted from the sentence.

In mitigation, the court considered Harry's young age, previous good character, and expression of remorse. However, the Chief Magistrate weighed those factors against the seriousness of Browne's injuries, Harry's decision to flee the scene, and his attempt to leave the jurisdiction by boarding a flight at VC Bird International Airport the day after the crash.

The court described Harry's decision to flee as an aggravating factor, noting that every road user has a responsibility to remain at the scene of a collision and assist anyone who may be injured.

Browne Appears in a Wheelchair

Browne appeared before the court on July 2 in a wheelchair, where he spoke about the pain and suffering he has endured since the June 20 collision. The cyclist sustained serious injuries including a significant laceration to his foot that required surgery. He recently graduated from ABCAS while still recovering from his injuries — a milestone he marked from a wheelchair rather than on his feet.

Public Outrage Over the Absence of Victim Compensation

The sentence has provoked immediate and widespread public reaction, with residents questioning why the entire EC$8,000 fine flows into the government's coffers while the injured cyclist — the actual victim — receives nothing.

The sentiment was captured plainly by members of the public responding to the outcome. "Browne is the victim, the injured party, but yet that $8,000 goes into the government coffers. So where is the compensation to Browne? Why is the country benefitting from his misfortune?" one resident asked.

Others questioned who will bear the cost of Browne's medical treatment, hospital visits, therapy, lost income, and the ongoing impact on his cycling career. "So what is the compensation for the man's pain and suffering and who is supposed to foot his bills to and from hospital, therapy, and if he was working, who is supposed to maintain him while he is not mobile?" another asked.

The questions are not merely emotional — they expose a structural gap in Antigua and Barbuda's traffic law framework, where criminal penalties for traffic offences do not automatically include a mechanism for compensating the victims of those offences. Browne's legal options for seeking compensation would need to be pursued through a separate civil action — a process that requires time, legal representation, and money that the victim may not have while recovering from injuries inflicted by a man who was unlicensed, uninsured, driving someone else's vehicle, and who ran from the scene.

The sentencing concludes the criminal proceedings against Kishroy Harry. For Tahjé Browne, the road to recovery — and the question of who pays for it — continues.