3 die in drag racing crash

THE highly popular and  illegal sport of street drag racing claimed the lives of three men — two of whom were drag racing each other — along the Solomon Hochoy Highway near Edinburgh, Chaguanas early yesterday morning.

The third victim was a driver going about his business. Police sources said Gary Aleong of Glencoe and Lawrence Berle of Mira Flores, Maracas Valley, were drag racing each other along the north-bound lane of the highway. Both men lost control of their vehicles causing the cars to collide, with one striking a light pole and the other going onto the south-bound section of the highway and crashing into a taxi. Aleong and Berle died seconds after the collision, while the third victim, Roger Alleyne, of Monkey Town, New Grant,  who was driving a Toyota Royal Crown Saloon taxi, died hours later while warded at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope.

According to police reports, around 12.30 am  Aleong was drag racing in his blue Honda Civic against Berle who was behind the wheels of a white Proton Saga. Both men were drag racing along the highway in the vicinity of Factory Road, Edinburgh, Chaguanas.  Aleong lost control of his vehicle and collided with the right rear side of Berle’s car, causing the Proton to run off the road on the western side of the highway before crashing into a steel lamp pole. Aleong’s out-of-control Civic sped across the grassy median on to the south-bound lane, crashing into the oncoming taxi. Police sources reported to Newsday that the owner of the taxi, Andrew Figaro, 50, had asked one of his passengers — Roger Alleyne — to take over the steering wheel since he (Figaro) had grown drowsy and did not want to continue driving out of fear of falling asleep at the wheel. Figaro’s action saved his life, but cost Alleyne his.

Also in the taxi were Avion Coteau, 25 and her five-year-old son Shamir. They were all taken to the Chaguanas Health Centre where they were treated and transferred to the EWMSC for treatment where Alleyne subsequently died. Figaro, Coteau and Shamir were said to be resting in stable but critical condition. The occupants of the taxi were reportedly returning home from attending parang celebrations when the fatal collision occurred. Efforts by Newsday to reach Alleyne’s relatives for comment yesterday proved futile. Police sources told Newsday that street drag racing is illegal as it infringes on several laws in the Motor Vehicle Act. Sources said drag racing was recognised as a legitimate sport when it is confined to areas designated for such high speed driving such as Wallerfield.

Police officers said they regularly receive several complaints from residents of loud, speeding cars zooming down roads and highways in the dead of night. However, patrolling police officers rarely come across these drag racers in the act, since the racers have a well-developed surveillance system in which other drivers alert them (the drag racers) via cellular phone and two-way wireless radio, to the presence of the police. Cpl Jaggernauth of the Chaguanas Police Station visited the accident scene and is investigating the incident. Autopsies were reportedly scheduled to be carried out yesterday at the Port-of-Spain mortuary.