And while the intersection continues to be a problem; the question of who’s to blame for Saturday’s hit and run is still undetermined. Following the accident, there have been several reports about who all are responsible for the child’s tragic death. While the Toyota Highlander driver Stephen Palacio continues to be at the center of the accusations, there have also been allegations that another person is also responsible for the accident. That person’s name is Robin McKenzie a special police constable attached to the Crimes Investigation Branch and the daughter of Chief Magistrate Margaret Gabb–McKenzie.
But today Robin McKenzie armed with a sketch in hand visited our studios to clear her name. According to McKenzie while she was travelling on Amara Avenue on Saturday evening, but she was not speeding or racing with the Toyota Highlander; she was travelling with her boyfriend, her nine month old son and other family members when the accident occurred. According to McKenzie, she noticed not only that the SUV was travelling at a very fast pace but that it was trying to overtake her vehicle and that is when she stopped her Ford Explorer to allow the vehicle to overtake. McKenzie says what happened next has left her traumatized but that in no way is she responsible for young Garcia’s death.
Tricia Benguche, Aunt of Deceased
“It was two vehicles. Apparently Miss McKenzie’s daughter, she and one another green vehicle were racing. It was like five little boys on bike, four already crossed and the other one stand up on the sidewalk waiting for them to pass because he heard the ruction because they were going at least 60 to 75 (miles per hour) and he stood up on the side waiting and the vehicle which overtake knocked him all the way across the other side of the street. We would wish Ms. McKenzie’s daughter, at least they must learn that what goes around comes around. We all have pay somehow, someway.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
And everyone is saying that Robin McKenzie’s was involved in a high speed chase.
Tricia Benguche,
“Yes because they had big chase through the street. She is police and she is not showing any example, they are not showing any example because they know who did it.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Robin I know because you are being accused of being involved in this fatal traffic accident you on your own, you have been doing your own investigation. You’ve also drawn a sketch from what you remembered happened that day.
Robin McKenzie, Clearing her name
“This is the Toyota Highlander, he was behind me. This is my Ford Explorer. I gave him way, I went to the side and I gave him way and he came this side and on the side of the street he came and this is when the child was coming from King Street, probably on the way to the bridge, and this is where he got hit. He fell and he went all the way to a white building I believe was there with his head hanging in his drain. And then I came and I stopped here, I got out of my vehicle and I went to him.
He went so high up in the air and he fell and that’s when I responded. I am a mother, I am a Special Constable, I am supposed to respond and that’s when I drove up, I got out of my vehicle with the ignition and everything on and I went to the child and I looked and he was motionless without moving not at all and that’s when I called 911 and told me that they are already responding to it and that’s when I stood today and that’s when the angry mob came behind me and started throwing pint bottles after me telling me I was the person. When I went back to my vehicle I was so traumatized that I cried I cried and that’s when a guy came and started hitting my boyfriend because he wanted our vehicle to go after the vehicle. My son was in he vehicle. At no point was I speeding, at no point do I even know Steven Palacio because I later found out his name when I went to work. I know nothing about him. I saw his face because when he came around me I looked at him. I was saying to myself let me see the idiot that is trying to overtake me. So I turned around and I saw a dark skinned male person with dreads. That is what I saw and I am getting a lot of negative feedback from everybody. They are calling me murderer.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Was the child crossing the street already when he was struck?
Robin McKenzie,
“He was struck at the middle of King Street and Amara, right at the center he got hit. He got hit actually not at the passenger side of that vehicle, he got hit at the other side, the driver’s side because we were all saying to ourselves let him make it and that’s when he got hit. I don’t even know where the bicycle went, I just saw him and I ran to his aid. If I could have saved that child’s life, if I could have even given that child my life to be honest Jackie I would give him because I am a mother and I am feeling the pain. My sympathy goes out to the family deeply.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
How fast was the Toyota Highlander going?
Robin McKenzie,
“Really really fast. It was really really fast and I later found out, today I found out that he stole the vehicle from the garage, he stole a vehicle and what he was doing was returning the vehicle, that is what he was doing. But a lot of people are saying I was speeding with the vehicle and I wasn’t speeding. I would never jeopardize my life, my son’s life, or nobody else’s life to be speeding on Amara Avenue.”
Robin McKenzie also denied allegations that prior to the accident, she had been drinking. Meanwhile police say they are still looking for the driver of the Toyota Highlander Steven Palacio who remains in hiding at this time.
