A 23-year-old St James man was killed in an early-morning car accident along the Uriah Butler Highway in Caroni yesterday.Police said around 3.45 am, Justin Phillip, of Belle Vue, Long Circular, St James, was driving his silver-grey Suzuki Swift in the north-bound lane when his car started to skid near the Guayamare River.Phillip's car veered right and crashed into a concrete embankment causing it to flip several times.
Before the mangled wreckage came to a stop, the car's bonnet detached and smashed into the windshield of a passing cement transport truck owned by Advance Readymix Ltd, driving along the same lane.Despite the high velocity of the flying debris, the truck driver escaped unhurt, police said.
Phillip was ejected from the car and suffered several broken bones and serious internal injuries. His body landed on the shoulder of the highway. He was pronounced dead on the scene by a District Medical Officer (DMO). The accident comes a little over a week before he was due to celebrate his 24th birthday on January 3. Eyewitnesses to the crash, who stopped to render assistance to Phillip, told police that he (Phillip) was constantly switching lanes at a high speed during pouring rain.
The lastest road fatality has taken the road death toll to 155. The figure stood at 146 for the comparable period last year.Chaguanas Police are continuing investigations.