La-Shanti Cooper Pleads Not Guilty in Fatal Crash That Claimed Keane Gregoire’s Life

The family of 18-year-old Keane Gregoire remains without closure after the woman accused of causing the crash that claimed his life pleaded not guilty in court, paving the way for a trial more than three years after the fatal incident.

La-Shanti Cooper has denied a charge of causing death by dangerous driving in connection with the May 2023 collision that left Gregoire fatally injured.

Gregoire died on May 19, 2023, one day after the vehicle in which he was travelling as a passenger crashed along All Saints Road near the John I. Martin Race Track.

Cooper, who was 19 years old at the time, was driving a Toyota BB at a high rate of speed when she allegedly lost control of the vehicle. Investigators say the car left the roadway, struck a concrete column and was thrown across to the opposite side of the road.

Gregoire sustained multiple injuries in the crash and was rushed to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries the following day.

In the immediate aftermath of the collision, Cooper reportedly told investigators that she had not been driving the vehicle, claiming instead that the driver fled the scene before police arrived. Police said that account did not withstand scrutiny during their investigation, which ultimately resulted in Cooper being charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

Appearing before the court recently, Cooper entered a not guilty plea, meaning the matter will now proceed to trial.

A case management hearing has been scheduled for September 25, when the court is expected to determine a date for the trial.

The case has remained before the courts for more than two years, with Gregoire’s family continuing to await the outcome of the criminal proceedings.