Pastor, nightclub owner, among victims

IN WHAT police deemed a “Black Saturday Night,” five persons, including a Jamaican pastor and a popular Chaguanas night club owner, were killed in road accidents on the Solomon Hochoy Highway. The first accident occurred around 6.30 pm when all four occupants of a silver grey B14 Nissan Sentra rental car died instantly when a truck landed on top of the vehicle. The victims have been identified as Peter Henry, 23, of  Irie Village, Branch Road, Princes Town and his fiancee, Linicia Duncan, 24, of the United States; Nadine De Bourg, 27, of Gajadhar Lands, Princes Town; and Prophet Horace Anderson, a Jamaican-born pastor residing in the US who was here on vacation.

Tragedy struck when the truck from CL Singh Trucking Company of Royal Road, San Fernando, and driven by Latchman Ramoutar, 52, of 123 Debe Main Road, Debe, veered out of control and flipped over onto the north bound lane of the Solomon Hochoy Highway, landing on top of the car. The fatal crash occurred in the vicinity of Francis Engineering Limited, in Edinburgh, Chaguanas. Truck driver Ramoutar, escaped without injuries. He reportedly told police he was proceeding along the south bound lane of the highway, when a car pulled in front of him, causing him to lose control. He said the truck flipped several times and crashed through the median. Speaking to Newsday yesterday, Mark Henry, brother of Peter, the driver of the car, said that the four were on their way to the Nicole Ballosingh Gospel Concert at the Jean Pierre Complex, Port-of-Spain when the accident occurred. He said Henry, a pastor in training who had attended Jesus True Foundations Ministry (JTFM) all his life, was due to marry his fiancee, Duncan, next Sunday. Duncan had only recently arrived in the country for the wedding.

Prophet Anderson had come to Trinidad to be a guest speaker at the JTFM’s church anniversary and to attend Henry’s wedding. In the other fatal crash, 33-year-old Balliram Beepat, joint owner with his brother Naresh of the Mystic XVI Pub on  Endeavour Road, Chaguanas, reportedly lost control of his Toyota Corolla Hilux, in the vicinity of Flowerline Limited, Charlieville, around 1.40 am yesterday. Beepat was on his way to his club after it was brought to his attention that one of his female employees was having problems with a male companion. A family member told Newsday Beepat was the sort of person who would “help anyone when in need, and would go all out of his way to help others and to ensure that everything was made alright.”

The police said Beepat was travelling in a southerly direction on the highway when he lost control of his vehicle which skidded, crossed the median and flipped over on its side. Beepat, who was thrown out of the vehicle, died on the spot. Officers from the Chaguanas Police Station, including Inspector Clarke, Cpl Figaro, Sgt Lewis, PC Boodram and PC Basant visited the scene. County Caroni District Medical Officer (DMO), Dr Vashisht Mahabir ordered that all five bodies be taken to the Port-of-Spain Mortuary where post mortems are expected to be performed today.