CHILDREN IN LUCKY ESCAPE

Three children, ages four to nine, who were on their way to see the Star Wars movie yesterday escaped serious injury when the vehicle in which they were travelling was rammed by a van on Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain. The driver of the van, a 70-year old Westmoorings businessman,  suffered injuries to the head but later said that he did not want to be taken to the hospital. Reports revealed that around 1 pm, Sang Ok Kim, of Dolphin Court, Westmoorings, the owner of Discount Beauty Mart on Charlotte Street, was driving along Independence Square in his white panel van when he observed that the traffic lights at Wrightson Road, were not working.

As he crossed into the lane heading west along Wrightson Road, Ok Kim’s van  collided with a car driven by John Lyder, who was on his way  to Trincity with his granddaughter Andrea Lyder, 4, and her friends Dillon Akal, 8, and Obioa Smith, 9, to view the movie Star Wars. The children, who walked out of the vehicle after the accident, sat on the benches on the Brian Lara Promenade. They were later attended to by ambulance officials. As she sat on the promenade, Andrea, in a brief interview with Newsday, said that  she had received a bump on her knee. She then pointed to her doll, CC, and said “CC was all right.” 

Dillon said that his head was hurting and pointed to a bump on his forehead. Obioa said he was looking forward to the Star Wars movie. Lydef said he was driving slowly when the panel van swerved in front his car and slammed into him. The children were quickly evacuated from the car, while Lyder who did not suffer any injuries went to the assistance of Ok Kim, and assured him that an ambulance was on its way. Ok Kim said that he was on his way home and could not remember what had happened. Fire officers from the Wrightson Road Fire Department who responded to the report of the accident, cordoned off the area and managed to free Ok Kim from the van in which he was trapped.

As he walked out of the van, Ok Kim  apologised to Lyder, saying that he was sorry for what happened. “I am alright and I just want to go home,” he told police and fire officers at the secne.  A fire service ambulance arrived minutes later and Ok Kim was placed in the ambulance but he insisted that he was alright and did not require any medical treatment. Both vehicles were removed to the side of the roadway and a joint police/army patrol arrived soon after and told both parties to lodge their reports at the Central Police Station. Investigations are continuing.