Three road deaths push toll to 125

A 47-year-old woman was among three people who lost their lives in separate road accidents in central Trinidad and Tobago. The victims are:
• Cynthia Ramnarine, of Edward Avenue, Siparia.
• Davidson Ramsamooj, 24, of Gasparillo.
• Dion Charles, 33, of Mason Hall, Tobago. (See other story on page).

The road fatality toll for the year stood at 125, according to statistics from Police Traffic Branch and Highway Patrol. In the first incident, shortly after 1 am, Charles, a member of the T&T Coast Guard died when his car collided with another on the Claude Noel Highway, Tobago. Four hours later, Ramnarine was on her way to Piarco International Airport with her husband, Kristan, when their silver Mazda 323 ran off the Uriah Bulter Highway near to the Divali Nagar site.

The car reportedly flipped several times before it slammed into a utility pole. Officers of the Chaguanas Fire Station responded and freed the couple from the mangled wreck with the use of hydraulic power tools. They were taken to the Chaguanas Health Facility where Ramnarine died. Her husband was transfered to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope, where he remained warded up to late yesterday. Less than an hour later, police were summoned to the scene of another fatal accident in Freeport.

Police said around 5.40, Morris Matura, 24, of Cap-de-Ville, Point Fortin, was driving his Mazda pick-up truck north on the Solomon Hochoy Highway. Eyewitness said near the Freeport Flyover, another pick-up truck attempted to overtake Matura, colliding with his vehicle. His trucked flipped several time before it landed on its hood.

Matura and his front seat passenger, Ramsamooj, were rushed to hospital by emergency health personnel. Ramsamooj, a trainee with the T&T Electricity Commission (T&TEC), was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital while Matura remained warded at hospital in a critical condition. In a telephone interview yesterday evening, Senior Superintendent Deodath Doolalchan said: “I am pleading with motorists to understand there will be challenges on the road and advising them to exercise caution when driving. “Motorists must be cognisant of the fact that there are other road-users and their actions may result in death or serious injury.”