Fatal cycling collision charges dropped against West Bay woman in Grand Court

Katherine Lopez, 26, was acquitted after the Crown offered no evidence in the death of Nepali cyclist Tara Bahadur. Expert reports did not support the charges.

All charges withdrawn in Esterley Tibbetts Highway death case

Katherine Lopez, 26, of West Bay, walked free from Grand Court on Friday after the prosecution dropped all charges against her in connection with the death of Tara Bahadur, a 22-year-old Nepali national, according to Cayman News Service.

Lopez had been charged with causing death by dangerous driving and driving under the influence following a collision on the Esterley Tibbetts Highway near the Yacht Club Roundabout in the early morning hours of 7 December. Bahadur, who worked as a dishwasher at a restaurant in Camana Bay, was riding his bicycle home when his path and Lopez's Honda HR-V collided. He was rushed to hospital and later pronounced dead.

Justice Cheryll Richards formally acquitted Lopez after the Crown told the court it was offering no evidence. The prosecution cited expert reports — commissioned independently by both the defence and the Crown — as the basis for the withdrawal.

While the specific findings of those reports were not disclosed in court, it was clear they did not support the charges. That conclusion prompted a review of the case and the decision to drop the matter entirely. Lopez was subsequently dismissed by the court and released from bail.

No further details regarding the content of the expert evidence were made public.

Source: Cayman News Service