Imagine being dragged by a car for several metres, on a rough roadway surface, at high speed. That was the horrid fate suffered by 29-year-old Shurland Chance, hours before a passer-by discovered his faceless corpse on the Rochard Douglas Road, last Saturday. The finding of an autopsy done yesterday by forensic pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov revealed that Chance's death was caused by multiple blunt-force trauma to the head. Chance, the father of two, was found around 4 am by truck driver Videsh Charles at the side of the road near his St Mary's Village, Moruga home. Now police are searching auto mechanic shops and roadways for recently damaged vehicles that may have been involved in the accident. Speaking at the Forensic Science Centre in St James yesterday, Alexandrov explained that while Chance was dragged by a car, there was no evidence to suggest that he was run over. There were no marks suggesting that he had been hooked on to the vehicle.
He suffered massive burn brush abrasions to the face, back and hands, which indicated that his body was dragged on the rough asphalt at a high speed. The friction from the rough surface caused severe burns to the skin. He said given the nature of the burns, it was very unlikely he could have been physically dragged by someone. "He was not shot or stabbed. The body was dragged with significant speed on the rough surface of the road. In his case, we have burn brush abrasions on back, body and hands," Alexandrov said. He said whether or not someone had contacted the authorities immediately after the accident, Chance's injuries were non-survivable. Relatives had initially believed Chance might have been shot, owing to the condition of his face. Police suspectChance may have been knocked over by someone who had a grievance with him, since he got into a fight in a bar the night before his body was discovered.
