Barman killed on Mucurapo highway

A 27-year-old barman employed with Club Coconuts, St Ann’s, was killed instantly when he lost control of a car, which crashed into a concrete slab and plunged into a river at the northern side of the Audrey Jeffers Highway early yesterday morning. Reports revealed that around 7 am, Noland Cooper of Goodwood Gardens, a barman at Club Coconuts for the past nine years, visited the Cocorite home of his mother Patricia Fredericks. He then left her home telling her that he was going to visit a friend.

Cooper was driving a car belonging to another friend. According to reports, he was driving the car, a white B-14, registration number PBE 2659, east along the Audrey Jeffers Highway around 7.15 am, when he lost control of the car which spun around several times and struck a concrete slab. The car then plunged into a river causing Cooper to be pinned to the driver’s seat. Other drivers who witnessed the accident alerted the Fire Services and officers under Fire Station Officer Callender went to the scene.They used a special piece of equipment known as “the jaws of life,”  to cut the car in a bid to free Cooper from the mangled wreck. District Medical Officer Dr Mootoo visited the scene and ordered the removal of the body to the Port-of-Spain Mortuary.

Initial tests revealed that Cooper suffered a broken neck. Ag Inspector Lezama, PC Prescott and other police officers visited the scene. The death of Cooper brings to 163 the number of persons killed in road deaths for the year. During the same period last year 172 persons were killed in road fatalities. At Niles Street, Cocorite yesterday, Patricia Fredericks, the grieving mother of the dead barman told Newsday that her son was the father of a six-year-old boy. She added that he was affectionately called “Shabba” by those who knew him. The weeping woman explained that her son was a safe driver and she expressed shock over his death. Officers of the St James Police Station are investigating.