No blood sample taken from John-John after crash
(CNS): A release from the RCIPS Friday lunchtime confirmed that no blood sample was taken from Labour Minister Dwayne “John-John” Seymour after he was involved in yet another nighttime collision, this time on Anton Bodden Drive on 8 August. The RCIPS said it is reviewing the procedure for testing the alcohol level of drivers after a crash, including if the person is unconscious and not able to give consent.
The Health Services Authority issued a statement late last night outlining the current blood alcohol testing process and defending the HSA staff involved.
The police said that following discussions with HSA Deputy CEO Dr Vinton Douglas, Commissioner of Police Kurt Walton has opened an internal investigation into the circumstances under which a blood sample was not obtained from the driver for investigative purposes following the collision.
A review of section 86 (2) of the Traffic Act, which concerns the circumstances under which a specimen of blood or urine can be taken following a collision, is ongoing, the RCIPS said. In its current form, this section does not address situations where a patient is unconscious or cannot give consent because of his/her condition. The RCIPS policy on testing drivers following a collision is also being reviewed.
“As such, no further comment on the matter will be made at this time. The investigation into the collision remains ongoing,” the police said.
In its statement, the HSA noted recent media reports involving an HSA physician, the RCIPS and “a political figure”, whom the CIG has identified as Seymour. “We take these reports seriously and are committed to providing transparency on the situation and clarification on the blood alcohol testing process,” the HSA said.
According to the statement, the process for blood alcohol testing for law enforcement purposes has been in place for some time. It begins when the police request a test at the hospital. If the patient is stable and alert, the police explain the legal requirements to them. Then, only if the patient consents, the police provide a testing kit with the chain of custody forms, blood tubes and tube seals.
The patient then signs consent for the blood draw and the tube seals, although it appears they are not obligated to do this. If the patient signs consent, the blood is collected and divided into two tubes, one for the police and one for the patient. The police and the physician both sign the chain of custody forms and then the police send the sample for testing.
The HSA said the process was recently reinforced through a training session for HSA physicians led by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and HSA’s Legal Counsel, who apparently did not notice the holes in the system that allow potentially guilty people to escape justice. The training focused on blood sample provision and section 86 (2) of the Traffic Act.
This section protects the patient’s rights but does not protect the public from drunk drivers.
The HSA said it “firmly denies any claims that our medical practitioner objected to a police officer’s request for a blood specimen” and blamed the RCIPS for not providing a testing kit on this occasion “as per the established procedure”. The authority did not explain why the doctor did not explain this to the police officers at the time.
“Our priority continues to be maintaining the highest standards of care, professionalism, and integrity in all operations, which includes our physicians’ and staff’s commitment to supporting and cooperating with law enforcement,” the HSA said.
Points that remain unclear include the legal basis for the requirement to get the patient’s consent before the physician can take blood where that patient is suspected of the crime of driving while drunk. It is also unclear why the process of obtaining blood was not repeated after Seymour gained consciousness, since alcohol remains in the blood for twelve hours.
It appears that the minister did not volunteer to give a blood sample to clear his name.
The collision happened 30 minutes after midnight on Thursday as Seymour was driving home in a government-owned black Chevy Tahoe. According to unofficial reports, he had been drinking at a bar.
The police have said that someone made a 911 call to report that a CAT excavator was parked along the roadside on Anton Bodden Drive, Bodden Town, with the excavator arm extending into the roadway. Shortly afterwards, it was reported that a vehicle had collided with the excavator arm.
Two boys were arrested this week on suspicion of moving an excavator and placing the arm into the roadway sometime before Seymour collided with the arm. The police said that a third juvenile male was arrested earlier this week in relation to the excavator involved in the collision.
See related article: MP not breathalyzed after crashing into pole
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ER 101 – casualty admission with a possible head injury requiring surgery, you draw blood. If the casualty can’t give ‘informed consent’ you just do it. There’s a heap of something piling up here and it doesn’t smell very nice.
Safe to assume that the number of persons held accountable will be the same as in the previous instance.
rcips is totally crooked. Any comment on this or the last one CoP?
Lodge says no.
If the police ever try to get a roadside or a Blood test from me i’m refusing, if im arrested and brought before the courts im suing. End of story!
This is corruption and collusion, no doubt about it, All staff involved at the hospital should be arrested for obstruction. The people of the Cayman Islands need to bring a lawsuit against the government and the police force for this.
LTD da Unboozler.
To the surprise of no one who knows how things go in Cayman
Certain people due to family connections, money or position can get away with anything
Completely ridiculous
Absolute Corruption !!!
So if i drive into something at night I dont have to give blood or breathalizer? Just checking the new law for all
Unfortunately, this man has not learned his lesson and the third time may just kill or injure someone else.
Disqualify him from driving as he is a proven menace to society on the roads.
If not, whoever his future victim is should be able to sue the HSA and RCIPs.
“The RCIPS policy on testing drivers following a collision is also being reviewed.” Two years after they failed to breathalyze him when he crashed. I am sure we will all be satisfied that a RCIPS internal investigation wil be fair and transparent 😂 If they were serious they would get another police force to conduct it. And whilst we are conducting “internal investigations “ why doesn’t government have one into the use of government vehicles out of hours for private purposes? About as much chance of that as anyone – other than possibly the expat doctor – being held to account for this.
Just like Donald Trump, Minister Seymour and the other elected officials (Bush) enjoy total immunity from anything when they are on official business.Maybe Trump will host Bush & Seymour at Mar-A-Lago and they can all scream about fake news and that we are picking on them. Plain weird losers all of them.
Donald Trump is a satanic tool. Leave him out of this.
I implore the fine people of Bodden Town East, have some self-respect and do not vote for this man in the next election.
Jon Jon is a proper representation of the voting pool in BTE. Sadly, he’s the brightest out of the bunch. LMAOOOOO
The fine people of the Cayman Islands should make wiser decisions about who they vote for overall. Do as much research as possible. Look into which current of potential politician had any run ins with the law and which ones are obviously controlled by the developers. Don’t let them ruin the island for their greed. Once the place is over developed why would tourists visit Cayman? We are allowing politicians in with no foresight.
sorry – wotes already bought and paid for
If they were fine people, he wouldn’t be their representative.
Color me shocked…….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Legge, where you at?
His business destroyed by the corrupt Cabal and no one stood by him. You want him now?
Cowering in fear elsewhere with his bags of money.
Get Smart voters. Google search all potential candidates for election. See what they have done both legally/illegally and morally wrong. Are these people who you want as a leader? Do you want a woman abuser, someone who does not pay child maintenance, someone who cannot maintain their financial affairs and/or been bankrupt, someone who has multiple children with multiple women, a drug user, an uncontrollable alcoholic, womanizer etc the list goes on. Just because someone gave you a few turkeys at Christmas, sweet talks you and gives you some plywood for your house does not make them reliable and able to run a country.
What’s the probability of being involved in a single vehicle accident?
What’s the probability of being involved in a second single vehicle accident within two years?
What’s the probability of a pair of unidentified kids either having the motivation or even being able to move the arm of an excavator into the middle of a road?
What’s the probability that the first person to come across the newly moved excavator fails to see it and take evasive manoeuvres or apply the brakes, and instead drives straight into it?
What’s the probability of that person being Dwayne Seymour and not someone else?
What’s the probability of being in a single vehicle accident and not being breathalysed by the police?
What’s the probability of being in a second single vehicle accident in two years and not being breathalysed by the police?
What’s the probability of also not having a blood sample taken after the second single vehicle accident in two years to check whether the driver was drunk?
Multiply all of those probabilities by each other and it’s a statistical impossibility.
Shameful.
Where is the statement from the Governor who has responsibility for the RCIPS?
Our politicians enjoy a level of official protection that the average person cannot even imagine. They are allowed to behave in the most debauched manner with absolute impunity.
The bad behaviour is so entrenched they must have used an excavator with a jackhammer.
Any politician that has any brushes with the law should automatically step down. Cayman looks like a circus and an embarrassment with the poor quality individuals running the place. They are weak and easily controlled by money, drugs, alcohol and women.