PHILIPSBURG:--- The driver of bus 159 Jason Palmer (80) had to be hospitalized on Saturday after he was severely beaten by two Haitian nationals in the vicinity of Kentucky and Le Grand Marche on Saturday afternoon. According to information provided to SMN News by Pedro Cannegieter, a friend and colleague of Jason is that on Saturday the two Haitians beat his friend who was taken to the St. Maarten Medical Center by Ambulance.
Cannegieter said about two weeks ago Jason got into an accident with a national of the Dominican Republic who pleaded with the bus driver not to involve police. Cannegieter said the woman was taken to the hospital by Jason who called him to the hospital to translate what the woman was telling him because he “Jason” cannot speak Spanish.
According to Cannegieter the woman did not want the accident to be reported but afterwards she began tormenting Jason for monies to fix her vehicle and Jason he said told her if the police was called in the insurance company would have determined who was wrong from who was right, besides that Cannegieter said that Jason asked the woman who would fix his bus?. He said the two men that beat Jason is well known to the Dominicano woman who was involved in the accident because they hang out by her at “Casa Rosada.” One of the suspects he said is from the St. Peters area whom he identified as Dedyson.
Cannegieter said two police officers that were on the scene Saturday afternoon had Jason bus taken away by a towing company. He said Jason went to the Police Station on Monday to retrieve his bus but was told by police that he should return to the Police Station on Wednesday. Cannegieter further explained that the elderly bus driver even went to the towing company in order to take out monies he has in the bus but the owners of the towing company refused to allow him access to his bus.
SMN News contacted Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson who stated that he was not aware of the case but later did his research and said that based on the police report filed by Jason on Sunday February 21st 2016 stated that the two Haitians beat the bus driver as they proceeded to rob him. Henson said according to the Police report, the two culprits ran away after committing their act.