A High Court jury has found Diondre Samuel not guilty of causing death by dangerous driving in the 2022 death of pedestrian Lashauna Bridgen.

Bridgen, a Jamaican national, was struck while crossing Friars Hill Road around 5:45 a.m. on 20 January 2022. The court heard she emerged from behind a parked SUV with high-beam lights on, and Samuel was driving to work at the time.

The defence argued the area was poorly lit and noted multiple fatalities had occurred there before lighting was installed. Prosecutors claimed Samuel had been speeding and under the influence of marijuana.

The jury found the evidence insufficient and acquitted him.