Latest news with #HannahRay
Daily Mail
06-08-2025
- Daily Mail
Woman plunged into hellish nightmare while driving home from first date in her Toyota Prius
A night that started as a first date in a new city turned into a hellish nightmare for a Florida woman who was wrongfully arrested when a motorcyclist crashed into her car and later died. Hannah Ray, 31, was driving home from a date in her Toyota Prius on December 4, 2022, when she made a left-hand turn down a closed road, and a motorcyclist collided into the side of her car, according to court documents. Paramedics arrived within minutes of the crash, and the motorcyclist, Jeffrey Conner, died from injuries he sustained in the collision. The Clearwater Police Department arrested Ray on a charge of driving under the influence manslaughter — only she wasn't drunk at all. Her blood test came back a few weeks after the arrest and revealed that she had no drugs or alcohol in her system. The Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney's Office then dropped the charges against her. Ray sued the city of Clearwater, arresting officer Scott Yeates, and public information officer Rob Shaw for false arrest and violating her civil rights. The city agreed to settle the lawsuit on Friday for $50,000 in damages. Her lawyer, Tom Wadley, told the Tampa Bay Times that he thought her case was worth more, but it's what the city was willing to offer. Body camera footage of her arrest showed Ray completing sobriety tests and asking officers for a breathalyzer. Ray was making a left-hand turn down a closed road when a motorcyclist crashed into her Toyota Prius 'Can you breathalyze me?' Ray asked Officer Scott Yeates. He replied that the officers would get to it later. 'The Clearwater Police Department videotaped the field sobriety exercises, and the video recordings show that Plaintiff was not staggering, stumbling, swaying, demonstrating any loss of balance, or demonstrating any issues with her speech,' Ray's attorneys argued in court documents. 'Despite this, Plaintiff [Ray] was placed in handcuffs and arrested for DUI manslaughter.' The amended complaint against the city argued that Ray performed several sobriety tests 'flawlessly' and accused Yeates of two 'egregiously false' observations during his investigation. Yeates reported that Ray had 'bloodshot' and 'glassy' eyes. Ray's attorneys argued that she was photographed multiple times at the scene and was pictured with clear eyes. Ray's attorneys also said that Yeates reported her speech was mumbled, but the four hours of body camera footage suggested otherwise. In the video, an officer tells her, 'You are going to go to jail tonight because someone died.' 'This is just my actual worst nightmare,' Ray replied. The footage depicted Ray participating in multiple sobriety tests and even taking off her thigh-high heeled boots without assistance. Yeates had turned his body camera footage off multiple times during the arrest, without verbalizing the reason, which officers are required to do in Florida. The investigation had also concluded that Conner, the motorcyclist, was traveling at 'an excessively high rate of speed,' according to the complaint. Conner's toxicology report found that he was under the influence during the crash, with a blood alcohol content almost three times the Florida legal limit. He also had over 50 arrests, including traffic citations and driving under the influence, before his death, according to the complaint. Ray's attorneys argued that a 'road closed' sign wasn't visible until after she had already made the left-hand turn. Once the charges were dropped, the police department kept Ray's mugshot on their social media page with the caption, 'Clearwater woman charged with DUI Manslaughter after she causes crash that killed a motorcyclist.' The complaint accused Officer Shaw, who operates the social media account, of intentional infliction of emotional distress. Shaw never posted a correction that Ray wasn't drunk and waited six months to take the post down. 'It's damaged her name and reputation for the rest of her life,' Wadley told local ABC affiliate, WFTS. The attorney's office dropped the charges against Ray when her blood tests confirmed she wasn't drunk during the crash During a deposition in April, Yeates stood by his decision to arrest Ray and said he disagreed with his supervisor after her blood results confirmed her sobriety. Wadley asked what the disagreement was about, to which he replied, 'That the state still should have gone forward with the charges,' the Tampa Bay Times reported. 'So she has no alcohol in her system, no drugs in her system, and you felt that they should have gone forward anyway?' Wadley pressed. 'Yes,' Yeates replied. After the crash, Conner moved back home to Indiana. She had moved to Clearwater to start her career as a therapist and lived with her sister. 'It felt so unreal because I had never been in trouble with the law before,' she previously told the Tampa Bay Times. 'I could not have known anything about the criminal legal system or how much corruption goes on because it had never touched me,' she added. 'I wouldn't have known anything I do now unless I went through that.' Ray used her horrific experience to help others and now works as a therapist and volunteers at juvenile centers. She also runs an Instagram page called Community as Therapy, where she shares stories from foster youth and homeless people. 'It troubles me deeply that police who are supposed to protect us are able to falsify records, lie on arrest warrants, and not be held accountable,' Ray said in a statement to WFTS. 'I cannot help but think less than 40 years ago there would have been no body cam footage or DNA evidence to protect me against these accusations. It would have solely been the police's word, vs mine,' she continued. Ray urged others to know their rights and advocated for improvements to the criminal justice system. Daily Mail reached out to the attorneys for Officer Yeates and the City of Clearwater, as well as Clearwater Police, for more information on how the department handled the allegations in the lawsuit.
The South African
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The South African
Cape Town Jazz Festival's free concert to star TKZee and Incognito
The Cape Town International Jazz Festival will host its traditional free jazz concert tomorrow, 24 April. An assembly of local and international stars will headline the event in the city centre. The concert will be headlined by various acts. British acid jazz band Incognito brings an international flavour to the event. Furthermore, legendary kwaito group TKZee will also take to the stage. Other acts include The Ploemies, Hannah Ray, Andrea Fortuin, Fancy Galada and DJ Eazy. 'The Free Jazz Concert has become an annual tradition for Capetonians and visitors alike, who come together to enjoy and celebrate their love of music,' said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith, in a statement. The jazz concert is organised with support from the City of Cape Town. The free concert is a prelude to the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, which follows on 25–26 April at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The gathering is one of Cape Town's top festivals. Highlights of the main programme include Black Coffee, Nduduzo Makhathini, Ari Lennox, Thandiswa Mazwai, and Lira. Meanwhile, Smith said the free Greenmarket Square concert is an opportunity to make the festival more accessible to locals: 'It is an opportunity for the City, working with the organisers of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, to provide a musical experience with big name artists for those who are not able to get tickets for the main festival. We invite everyone to come and be part of this special celebration set in a safe, vibrant, and family-friendly environment. Bring your loved ones, soak in the rhythm of the city, and enjoy world-class performances under the Cape Town sky.' The Cape Town International Jazz Festival free concert takes place on Thursday, 24 April 2025, from 16:30 to 22:00. As is tradition, Greenmarket Square in the city centre will host the open-air event. It's free to attend. There will be road closures around the area, including: Burg Street between Church and Longmarket streets Longmarket Street between Long and Adderley streets Burg Street between Hout and Shortmarket streets Shortmarket Street between Long and Adderley streets Further details of these can be found on the city's website. Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Cape Town's CBD set to host the vibrant 2025 CTIJF Free Concert
The bustling streets of Cape Town's Central Business District will come alive with the vibrant sounds of music as the much-anticipated 2025 Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) Free Concert takes centre stage on April 24. This year's line-up promises an exhilarating mix of acclaimed international artists and dynamic local talent that will captivate residents and visitors alike. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Headlining this year's concert are renowned British acid jazz legends Incognito and the iconic South African kwaito group TKZee. They are joined by genre-bending acts such as The Ploemies, along with rising star Hannah Ray and powerhouse vocalists Andrea Fortuin and Fancy Galada. To keep the energy high between sets, the crowd can look forward to electrifying performances by DJ Eazy. Located at the historic Greenmarket Square, the Free Jazz Concert serves not only as a popular feature on Cape Town's annual events calendar, but also as a preview to the main festival. The square, known as the second oldest public space in the city, transforms into an inviting open-air venue offering residents and visitors a front-row seat to a world-class musical experience. Alderman JP Smith, the Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, emphasised the concert's importance as an annual tradition. "The Free Jazz Concert has become an annual tradition for Capetonians and visitors alike, who come together to enjoy and celebrate their love of music. It is an opportunity for the City, working with the organisers of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, to provide a musical experience with big-name artists for those who are not able to get tickets for the main festival. We invite everyone to come and be part of this special celebration set in a safe, vibrant, and family-friendly environment. Bring your loved ones, soak in the rhythm of the city, and enjoy world-class performances under the Cape Town sky," he said. The concert kicks off at 4:40pm and runs until 10pm, promising an evening filled with rhythm, energy, and community spirit. Road closures To ensure a smooth experience for concert-goers, temporary road closures will be implemented around the Greenmarket Square area. Motorists and residents should plan their journeys accordingly, as closures will begin at 6am from Wednesday, 23 April until Friday, 25 April 2025, affecting the following roads: Burg Street between Church and Longmarket streets Longmarket Street between Long and Adderley streets Burg Street between Hout and Shortmarket streets Shortmarket Street between Long and Adderley streets Following the Free Concert, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival will take centre stage at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) over the weekend of 25 – 26 April. Festival-goers can expect over 30 artists across multiple stages, culminating in a vibrant celebration of global jazz, soul, and Afro-fusion. The main festival will feature a dazzling lineup, including a collaboration between Grammy-winning DJ Black Coffee and jazz pianist Nduduzo Makhathini, as well as performances from American R&B sensation Ari Lennox, South African music legend Thandiswa Mazwai, and 11-time SAMA-winning Afro-soul artist Lira, among many others.
Time Out
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2025: What you need to know
The 22nd edition of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) is all set to take place on 24, 25 and 26 April 2025. The highly-anticipated event kicks off with a free concert at Greenmarket Square on 24 April at 16h30, before the main event takes centre stage on 25 and 26 April at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). Here's a guide to all the information you need to know ahead of the action-packed weekend. Free concert at Greenmarket Square The weekend's festivities start with performances by Incognito, TKZEE, The Ploemies, Hannah Ray, Andrea Fortuin, Fancy Galada and DJ Eazy on Thursday, 24 April 2025 at Greenmarket Square. The concert is free and starts at 16h30. It is anticipated that a large crowd will gather for the curtain raiser to the big weekend, so those wanting to attend are advised to head down early. Day One of CTIJF 2025 - Friday, 25 April The first day of the jazz festival kicks off with a bang, with the likes of Black Coffee, Nduduzo Makhathini, Masego and the Victor Masondo Quartet amongst a stellar lineup for the Friday. Doors open at 17h45 and the schedule is set to run until 01h45. Day Two of CTIJF 2025 - Saturday, 26 April The second day of the festival promises to be just as electric as the first. Ari Lennox, Lira, Bombay Lights, Igor Butman Quartet and Thandiswa Mazwai are some of the big names set to take to the stage. Doors open a little earlier on the Saturday at 16h45, so please take note of this. The festival will draw to a close at 01h45 on Sunday, 27 April. Tickets for CTIJF 2025 There are still tickets available for the festival. You can grab yours from Ticketmaster or through Loot, who have a buy now, pay later vibe going. For those looking for hospitality options, you can check out the CTIJF website for more details on the fancier side of the festival. Pre-festival events The Time Out Market Cape Town has three pre-festival events planned for 24, 25 and 26 April involving delicious gin, wine and whisky options. You can find out more by scrolling through the Market's events guide or down below.
