A Carnival Cruise Line cruise passenger was arrested and charged with vehicular manslaughter and drug possession after the ATV he was driving flipped over, resulting in the death of his passenger.
Chicago, Illinois, resident James Darling was in the ATV’s driver’s seat when the vehicle he was operating rolled on its side and fell on the neck of James Palmer, who was in the passenger seat.
Police at the scene detected the smell of marijuana on Darling. They searched him and discovered nine grams of Colorado Kush, a potent cannabis strain that has high amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol.
Reports revealed that the accident happened last Sunday at 11:30 a.m. on The Bahamas’ Arawak Cay Road.
Darling, his friend Palmer, and his two other friends had just embarked on a Carnival Cruise Line sailing and were less than 24 hours into their cruise vacation.
Local news outlet The Tribune reported that the 21-year-old pleaded guilty to drug possession but used a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI) to have the charges against him evaluated by the Supreme Court. Without a VBI, the magistrate court, the primary court for civil and criminal cases in The Bahamas, would have investigated his case.
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He was eventually awarded a $40,000 bail with electronic monitoring. Darling is currently on probation until March 20, 2025, when he is due to return to court. The charges could be dropped if Darling can show the tribunal that he hasn’t had additional brushes with the law.
On the other hand, violating the terms of his probation could mean three months in prison or a $500 fine.
Meanwhile, Darling’s family in the United States has started a GoFundMe page to cover his travel and legal expenses.
A family member appealed to the public, “He is facing legal challenges and is currently being held on a $40,000 cash bail. We are doing everything we can to bring him home and navigate this unimaginable situation, but we cannot do it alone.”
Marijuana Prohibited by Cruise Lines
Since cruise lines follow federal laws, marijuana onboard is strictly prohibited even if passengers carry prescriptions for its medical use. However, cruise lines can not control if someone purchases something in port.
Cruise operators like Carnival Cruise Line prevent contraband on vessels with drug detection dogs at cruise terminals. Cruise line personnel also have the right to search guests’ luggage if they believe someone may have it.
Last year, Carnival imposed a lifetime ban on a guest after finding CBD gummies in her belongings.
Cruise News Story [VIDEO]
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