Senior Reporter
anna-lisa.paul@guardian.co.tt
Three men were killed in road accidents between Friday night and yesterday morning.
In the first incident around 7.45 pm on June 14, Adolphus Martinez, 58, of Park Avenue, Road 1, Northeastern Settlement, Sangre Grande, was struck by a car as he was walking along the road.
Reports stated Martinez was hit by a 42-year-old driver of Northeastern Settlement, Sangre Grande, along Ojoe Road.
Martinez was pronounced dead at the scene, and his body was removed to the Sangre Grande Hospital Mortuary, while the driver’s vehicle was taken to the Sangre Grande Police Station.
In a separate incident, two men lost their lives around 6.45 am yesterday following a crash in the vicinity of Jacob Hill, Churchill-Roosevelt Highway.
Allan Steele, 46, of Exoria Circular, Jacob Hill, reportedly died at the scene, while a second man who was unidentified up to yesterday died at the hospital.
A third man, identified as Chester Abraham, 60, of Jacob Hill, Wallerfield, was injured and hospitalised in critical condition at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope.
According to a report, the driver of the black Suzuki lost control and veered off the road, slamming into a tree. Steele reportedly died at the scene, while Abraham and the unidentified man were both taken for medical care. A female relative described Steele as “a good boy who had his ways.”
Describing Steele as a giving person, she said she last saw him on Friday night when he gave her money to play a mark for him.
She said Steele, the father of a 15-year-old girl, was due to celebrate his birthday on Wednesday, and had been looking forward to the occasion.
Yesterday, she said the family was confused about the incident. They believed he had fallen asleep in the vehicle and missed his usual stop. To motorists, she begged, “Just don’t drink and drive.”
Meanwhile, Road Safety Coordinator, T&T Police Service, Brent Batson, extended condolences to the victims’ families.
He reminded “road users that unsafe, irresponsible driving quickly results in tragic consequences ranging from serious disabling injuries to loss of life.
“Drivers know that exceeding speed limits can quickly lead to loss of vehicle control situations and that seat-belt use, together with disciplined and responsible driving, is critical to ensuring safe journeys on the roadways.”
The road fatality figure for 2024 now stands at 52, compared to 49 for the corresponding period last year.