Driver jailed as he awaits sentence in fatal crash
(CNS): Jordan Telford (40) was remanded in custody Friday, as he awaits a judge’s sentencing ruling for causing the death of Shemiah Grant more than two years ago. Justice Cheryll Richards said she would deliver her decision on how long he will serve in jail at the end of the month. Telford has admitted texting moments before hitting and killing Grant, who was riding a motorcycle on North West Point Road.
Telford pleaded guilty in March following the completion of the relevant accident reconstruction reports. When he appeared in the dock Friday, the crown outlined the details of the collision, which happened around 8:25pm on the evening of 3 May 2021, a few minutes after Telford left the Cracked Conch in a white Hyundai, where he had consumed three beers with a friend.
He struck Grant, who was heading to his girlfriend’s house a short distance away in the opposite direction, after drifting across the centre line on a bend on North West Point Road, just after the junction with Bonaventure Road. He was travelling at around 30mph but admitted to using his phone around the time of the crash.
Telford stopped and called 911 at the scene, as did another witness who lived nearby. He was arrested and breathalyzed and was under the legal limit for alcohol at the time. He was later charged with causing death by dangerous driving as a result of texting, which crown prosecutor Kenneth Ferguson said was “a gross avoidable distraction” under the law.
The court heard that Telford was full of remorse over the crash, had accepted full responsibility for it and knew that he was facing jail time. The crown also revealed that although he has no previous criminal convictions, he has previous traffic offences and had been ticketed for using a mobile phone while driving just 40 days before the fatal crash.
The crown also noted the victim impact report from Grant’s family members, who have struggled to come to terms with their loss. The report revealed a family suffering emotionally and economically since the tragedy, as Grant left behind young children, his partner and a number of other close relatives.
As the submissions to the court were wrapped up, attorney Gregory Burke, who represented Telford, said his client was under no illusions about his fate and was therefore willing to be remanded ahead of the sentence ruling to begin serving time.
Justice Richards, who presided over the case, said she was grateful that Telford understood the inevitability of a custodial sentence and would deliver her ruling on 30 June.
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I was not there to see this accident, but I lost a very close friend and his girlfriend on a Harley Davidson when a car unlawfully turned in front of them. The car and motorcycle could not veer or stop in time to avoid the accident. They took that chance when they when they got on their motorcycle and in their automobile. I really feel sorry for the victims and their families. No one went to jail for my friends accident. It was not vicious and meant to happen. Mr. Telford should not go to jail or pay any retribution. Remorse is enough! I know forgiveness is necessary and know God will forgive for our mistakes. This story needs to be told to others to hopefully to keep them from making the same mistakes.
All of us know we are distracted by texting while driving. We look down and hit a few keys and then look back up. I and many of you have done this and looked up and seen we have drifted from our lane at least partly and at times into the next lane. A car can suddenly brake in front of us and we can hit it, etc. luckily it is fairly rare that it results in hitting a vehicle oncoming,to the side or one that brakes right in front and by the time you look up you can’t stop in time and cause a serious accident. It is dangerous to ride motorcycles on the road and the stark statistics are staggering. 80% of motorcycle accidents result in serious injury or death while 20% of people in car accidents result in serious injury or death. Sobering statistics that should give a person pause to ride motorcycles and realize the chances of a serious injury or death that leaves a family with an unimaginable void, especially with children involved.
At least recognize that Jordan took immediate responsibility and didn’t do anything (nor his lawyer) to try to find some loophole or technicality to get him off. I hope the very remorseful Jordan receives leniency from the court.
Rubbish!
I feel sad for both families. However, this was sincerely an accident. His limits of alcohol was under the limit. Everyone of us has gone slightly over the line around a bend. Jordan was very shook up himself for accidentally taking a mans life and seems extremely remorseful. He’s loved by many and has never been in trouble.He’s an upstanding citizen and one of the kindest young men I have ever known. He too has been suffering as well as the family that lost their loved one He’s been depressed, Institutionalized for this very sad tragedy. Please keep in mind this will forever be something he has to live with and will always have this sad death weighing on his mind for the rest of his life. Honestly isn’t that punishment. May God Bless all and forgive because that’s what God would want especially for such an accidental tragedy. I pray for both families and ask forgiveness that helps both families.
He should be legally required to provide child support for all of the victim kids until they become adults. how can you remove a vital part of a family financial security and not be liable to fill that void?
Good on him for pleading guilty and cooperating.
totally agree. shows backbone and integrity!
meantime you have other individuals leaving the scene of the accident and applying to have their bail conditions removed for business meetings abroad!
Kudos to Mr. Telford for taking responsibility for his actions. Hard to come by today. Condolences to the family of the victim. RIP
Texting and driving is so common on Cayman roads now.
You see drivers texting when there is even a passenger in the car.
you see drvers heading out for lunch or leaving work, get in their car, start driving and then start texting.
Crosswalks even with their flashing lights make little difference when a drivers head is looking down and texting on the phone.
Twice in the last 3 months I’ve had to leap out of the way, even after crossing two lanes of a flashing crosswalk, and a texting driver flies through at full speed.
Police breathalyse drivers when they crash, do they even bother checking peoples phones?
Its so bad that on any given day I see 20% of drivers texting.
Is taking someones life, worth texting “on way home” in your car rather than before you start driving?
Apparently in this “Christian Nation” the answer is yes.
and texting also refers to any messenger app on your phone.
Sadly I’ve even witnessed cops texting and driving.
Why don’t the police try some prevention instead of waiting until people are killed?
And don’t forget the added gridlock with drivers on the phone in traffic.
If the police don’t want to act, (after all they can’t even be bothered to give water to the Canine unit), then let the public enforce the law for you
In these days of disgusting, cowardly hit-and-run culture, Telford deserves some credit for doing the right thing and staying on the scene, although…
….from the damage to his car, seems like he had no choice.
Whats happening with the guy who hit and killed a cyclist on frank sound road recently. Only two witnesses – the driver, and another cyclist. Is the RCIP still investigating? Some statement from RCIP is needed … is the driver going to be charged or not? This matter cannot be left dangling.
Sad for both parties involved.
It seems as though Telford is remorseful and waiting 2 years for a sentence is a long time. Under the legal limit, pleading and remanding himself seems very remorseful.
Pretty sure RCIPS would have struggled to prove he was texting as well if he hadnt told them. Doesn’t make him a hero, but so rare to see someone take responsibility. Throws all those hit and run drivers and “I was tired after a day at the office” power pole rammers look like the complete “£$%s they are.
It’s not difficult to see if someone was texting. The police would have to take possession of the phone and check for activity at the time of the incident. Basic digital forensics.
I am not an expert, but if someone is sending a text, the text could have been typed before driving and sent with one touch without losing driving attention. The text would show only the time, it was sent, not typed. I’m not convinced that texting caused the accident, especially since people cross the middle line quite often without texting, there, I am told. Wonder, if there is any evidence, showing that the crouch-rocket motorcycle could have avoided the crash. If there wasn’t any, how do we know the motorcycle driver wasn’t paying attention, especially if the speed limit was 30.
Mr. Telford could be a victim of circumstances. Sorry, again, my sincere sympathy for all the parties’ involved with this tragedy.
FAFO. Lesson to all. Stash that phone away when driving and be alert at all times.
RIP Shemiah.
well done Jordan for a least being a man and having the cohunas to accept your fate.
unlike the usual hit and running cowards
He should be jailed for 20 years. The courts need to send a message. Too many times vehicles drift across the road because people are using their phones.
20 years? Now that sounds a bit harsh especially you are correct in that we all have made these careless mistakes. Why should he be the example?
To all the people that have put thumbs down … you condone mobile phone use on the road and killing other road users. Let’s see how you feel if it happens to someone you care about.
That is ridiculous time for an accident like this. Murders and rapists are walking the streets and you want for a man who is extremely remorseful to spend 20 years in prison. I guess you have never accidentally crossed the line Hmm go down to the bend before passing judgement and count how many people cross that line daily. Perhaps you’d be surprised!!
That won’t bring the guy back and this guy sitting in jail for 20 years won’t send any message either.
People will continue to do it and hope they don’t get caught so I think 20 years is very harsh, especially when they letting drunk drivers who injure kill others get off with a lot less.
Don’t get me started on child molesters and rapists, they should be castrated and starting point is 25 years.
Sad situation which could have been avoided. Please do not text or drink and drive. One behind bars and one taken from his family. Everyone suffers!
“Under the legal limit for alcohol at the time”. He was measured at .07, so under the .10 at the time.
But you cant tell me alcohol didnt play a part in his actions or judgements.
20 @ 11:32am – Oh yes I can, so can Telford and everyone else. Legally, alcohol did not influence his actions.
Sad but true!
His distraction was TEXTING WHILE DRIVING.
He’s a big guy, probably used to drinking, so I’d say that alcohol played a very minor role in the accident.
The main issue here is the texting. It’s a disease here in Cayman.
Unfortunately, the death of the poor gentleman will do little to change behavior here, as it’s human nature to think “it’ll never happen to me”.
The traffic laws need to be completely overhauled. At the moment texting and talking on the phone is punished purely by financial means. If you can afford it you can get caught every day. We need a points system with consequences that can include revocation of a license etc.
Nobody texts anymore. Get with the times.
Maybe your circle of illiterate friends don’t, but I can assure you that messaging using the medium of text is still very common.
Source: Motorcyclist who sees multiple idiots texting every damn day.
Real men use WhatsApp. The text message is all but dead.
The person who caused the accident was literally texting. Idiot.
He was an idiot, yes. Unlikely that he was “texting” though.
20 @ 7:25 pm – What a moron troll you are! Texting or whatsapp, why split hairs in this matter? Trivial BS!
The fact is, distracted driving by using his phone digitally instead of using it audibly killed some mother’s child and some child’s father!!
Nevermind, you wouldn’t understand!