Drag racers died from massive head injuries

AUTOPSIES carried out yesterday on the bodies of drag racers Gary Aleong and Lawrence Berle at the Port-of-Spain Mortuary by pathologist Neville Jankie, revealed both men died from massive head injuries and resulting internal haemorrhaging.

And contrary to official reports coming out of Police Central Division on Monday, which stated that Roger Alleyne succumbed to injuries while warded at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) in Mt Hope, he is very much alive, though he remains in critical condition. Sources explained that a mix up involving information coming from the EWMSC was responsible for investigators in Central Division initially reporting Alleyne as succumbing to his injuries, when the opposite was true, and although he was brought to the EWMSC in an almost comatose state, he was and still is, alive.

However, sources yesterday told Newsday that Alleyne and other victims — Avion Coteau, her son Shamir Coteau and Andrew Figaro, were still warded in critical condition with doctors at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital monitoring their vital signs around the clock. The autopsy, which was witnessed by PC Lalchan, concluded that Aleong died of internal haemorrhaging consistent with multiple head injuries, while Berle died from massive head injuries.

It was reported that Aleong and Berle were drag racing on the north-bound lane of the Solomon Hochoy Highway early Monday morning. The deaths of the two drag racers, has pushed the overall road fatality rate for this year to 186, with 21 days still remaining in the year. Investigations are continuing.