Two Lopinot villagers were yesterday hailed as heroes after they rescued mother and child who were trapped in a car which veered off a precipice on Thursday night.
A Facebook post on Lopinot La Pastora Community singled out Kerron “Dan” Reid and another man only as Mr Caldon for praise.
Reid and Caldon rushed to assist after a car driven by Micheal Williams slipped off a narrow portion of the road. Williams died from injuries sustained in the crash.
The men were lauded as heroes for “racing down the cliff to rescue the special needs child and his mom,” according to the social media statement.
Resident Gill Salina said yesterday the incident could have been prevented if there was proper road maintenance.
He said that the road had been left unattended for over a decade with “patch, patch” work being done to fill potholes while more serious concerns like guard rails and widening the roads to meet the growing population was ignored.
He recalled other cases where cars ended up in the river and some as far as 300-feet downhill. He said proper road management may save the lives of other drivers especially those familiar with the winding roads.
Police said Williams was transporting Lydia Philips and her special needs son, Levi Thomas, seven, out of Lopinot when his vehicle plunged some 100 feet into a river.
Residents said on reaching a narrow portion of the roadway, a vehicle heading in the opposite direction tried to pass next to him, and in an attempt to avoid a collision, Williams pulled to the extreme left and his car went down the precipice.
Williams died while being treated by paramedics at the scene while mother and child were taken to the hospital. The child remained warded yesterday.