St Joseph’s Convent student burnt to death

A 16-year-old student of the Caribbean Union College was until last night battling to save her life after she suffered third degree burns all over her body.

Raeann Diaz was surrounded by relatives at the Intensive Care Unit of the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope, who were praying for her recovery. Doctors have described her prognosis as poor and said it would be a miracle if she survives. Another passenger in the car, Liesel King, a 16-year- old student of St Joseph’s Convent, was burnt to death, while her father received first degree burns. Everald King, 52, who was burnt all over his body, is warded in stable condition at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, while Raeann Diaz is at the ICU of the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex. Raeann suffered 65 percent burns about her body. King suffered severe burns in what was a three-vehicle smash-up on the Churchill Roosevelt Highway, Trincity, near the traffic lights. Two of the cars burst into flames. King is not aware of his daughter’s death.

Liesel, of 8th Avenue, Barataria, was trapped in the back seat of the car, and could not be rescued.  According to reports received by the police, at around 6.15 pm vehicles PAG 1536, a Mazda 626, a Sentra PAY 5302 and a pickup TBO 4123 were travelling east along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway when on reaching Trincity about 200 metres from the traffic lights, the Sentra vehicle ran into the rear of the Mazda 626 causing it to hit the pickup van. Both the Mazda and the Sentra caught fire on impact while the back of the pickup van was damaged. The four occupants of the Sentra, came out of the vehicle and escaped on foot. Kelvin Seenath, Fire Sub Station Officer (FSSO) and other fire officers  of Arima Fire Services responded but were unable to put out the fires.

Ag Insp Daniel, Cpls Andrews and Parks along with police photographer Arlene Skerette of the Arima police visited the scene. Paul Bissessar, District Medical Officer,  viewed the body of the King girl and ordered its removal to the Arima District Hospital mortuary.  A post-mortem is expected at the Forensic Science Centre today. Cpl Andrews is investigating. An eyewitness claimed that after the car burst into flames, King pulled out Raeann from the back seat of the car, and when he went to the other side to rescue his daughter the car burst into flames preventing him from getting to her. Meanwhile, relatives of the deceased, on hearing the news, rushed to the scene of the accident and were able to give the police some information about the Sentra and its occupants, who are believed to be from Calvary in Arima and La Horquetta. 

When Newsday visited the home of King, relatives refused to speak to the media. The relatives of Diaz said that they were praying for the recovery of Raeann. Ryan Diaz, brother of Raeann and an employee of Newsday, said that his family was in a state of shock over the death of King and the injuries sustained by Raeann. He said that Raeann did not know Liesel and she was just accepting a lift home when the tragedy occurred. Ryan said that his sister was invited to a sleepover at the Maracas, St Joseph home of a fellow student on Saturday. On Sunday evening she was returning home when tragedy struck.