Guyanese singer killed in hit-and-run accident in US

Jul 16, 2010 News

---

– Driver arrested

The music fraternity in the Caribbean region was thrown into a state of sadness yesterday as news spread of the death of promising US-based Guyanese singer Jermaine Forrester.
The 33-year-old was killed in a Jersey City hit-and-run accident yesterday and the driver has since made a court appearance.
The Jersey Journal reports that a Harrington Park man made his first court appearance yesterday afternoon on charges that he killed a New York City man in a hit-and-run collision in Jersey City yesterday morning before his arrest in River Vale by officers on the lookout for his vehicle, officials said.
“Holy s—! I killed that guy?” said John Dineen, 23, when River Vale Police Officer Christopher Bulger told him he was being charged with death by auto and other offences, reports said.
River Vale Police Chief Michael McCann said Bulger recognized Dineen’s speeding vehicle at 1:13 a.m. based on the alert issued by Jersey City police.
Dineen is charged with death by auto, endangering an injured victim and other offences in connection to the collision that killed Forrester, 33, of Springfield in Queens, as he was crossing the State Highway 139 at Bevan Street at 12:48 a.m. today, Jersey City police said.
A driver who witnessed the fatal collision followed Dineen’s 2009 black Toyota Land Cruiser north on Kennedy Boulevard but went back to the accident scene when he realized it wasn’t going to stop, police said.
A pedestrian who was walking in front of Forrester said he heard a loud noise and when he turned he saw Forrester flying through the air before coming down on the pavement, reports said. Another witness told police the vehicle that hit Forrester pulled over for a moment before speeding away.
Forrester was pronounced dead at the scene and Jersey City police officers contacted his mother and notified her of his death, reports said. When Dineen was spotted in River Vale he was travelling 48 miles per hour in a 35-mile per hour zone and the police officer noticed the SUV had a smashed headlight.
After failing a sobriety test and refusing a Breathalyzer test, Dineen was arrested on the charge of driving while intoxicated and brought to the Hackensack University Medical Center, reports said. At the hospital he refused a blood test that would determine his blood-alcohol level, McCann said.
While being brought back to Jersey City, Dineen said, “I can’t believe that I killed that guy. I can’t believe I hit him,” reports said, adding that an officer advised him to remain silent.
When he appeared in Central Judicial Processing court in Jersey City yesterday afternoon Dineen was wearing a white undershirt, brown slacks and black dress shoes. His hands were cuffed behind his back. He appeared stunned.
Dineen’s lawyer, Otto J. Scerbo, described him as a Bergen County resident, college student and lifetime resident of New Jersey. Dineen said nothing at the hearing before being escorted from court by Sheriffs officers. After the hearing, Scerbo said he had no comment.
While being booked at Jersey City’s North District Police Station, Dineen said “please give me something to throw up in I’m gonna be sick thinking about the guy I just hit.”
An officer told the judge Margaret Marley of the statement and she stipulated it represented probable cause to charge Dineen with death by auto. The charge is a first-degree crime since alcohol was allegedly involved, Jersey City Police Director Sam Jefferson said.
Who was Jermaine Forrester?
Jermaine Forrester who came to prominence as a lead singer with the group ‘4play’ recently released a single titled “Gonna Be Alright”.
The handsome, young dynamic, singer was known by many as the “Caribbean Pop Artist to watch.” Born in Georgetown, Guyana, raised in Barbados and currently residing in New York City, Forrester was poised to spread his gale force musicianship and charisma throughout the US and the world.
He was a singer/songwriter and producer who declared on his Facebook page that he was psyched and more than ready to introduce his many hot tracks to the world. Infused with his own distinctive blend of Pop, Reggae, R&B and Hip-Hop with trace influences of Rock, his music is an eagerly anticipated treat for all who have been fortunate enough to hear it or witness one of his high-octane performances.
His numerous credentials include hosting “The New Vibe” radio show on HOTT 95.3 FM in Barbados, where he played the music of local artists and aired entertaining skits, and the “Rock City” radio show on MIX 96.9 FM, where he played Top 40 music. As a VJ for the weekly television show, “Riddim Express”, which was seen in 16 islands in the Caribbean, he aired music videos and interviewed several Caribbean artists.
Forrester was no stranger to commercial work on radio and television and his voice stood out in numerous voiceovers and in-studio appearances. His sex appeal and vibrant personality placed him on magazine covers and in many news publications in the Caribbean. He also has the distinction of being the featured artist on a Cable & Wireless endorsement, generating sales of 50,000 phone cards in just two days for the telecoms giant.
Jermaine Forrester had toured the UK with hip-hop star Busta Rhymes, gaining legions of fans for himself. He had also performed the opening act for artists such as Boyz II Men, James Ingram, Ashanti, Ja Rule, Carl Thomas, Shaggy, Beenie Man, Beres Hammond and Sean Paul.

---

---