Filipino killed in Beetham crash

A FILIPINO fisherman died instantly when the car in which he was travelling struck the median separating the east-bound from the west-bound lanes of the Beetham Highway and crashed into a pick-up van on Thursday night.

The death of Bernardo Artama Junior, 32, of the Philippines has brought this year’s road fatality figure to 66. Other persons injured in the accident were treated at hospital and discharged. According to police reports, Artama Junior was the front seat passenger in a Nissan Sentra car driven by his fishing colleague Riaz Mohammed, 42. Seated in the back of the car was Barbadian national Solomon Marshall. Around 9 pm, Mohammed lost control of the car which was proceeding west along the highway, near the Beetham landfill. The car struck the median, flipped in the air and crashed into a Nissan pick-up driven by Robin Bissoondial Singh of El Socorro Road, San Juan, who was proceeding on the east-bound lane. Artama Junior died on impact, while the other occupants only suffered minor injuries.

Beetham residents who heard the impact of the vehicles ran towards the crash site to render assistance while others telephoned the police. A fire tender was later summoned and firemen had to assist police in removing the injured persons from the wreckage. DMO Dr Lue Chee Lip arrived and ordered the body removed to the Port-of-Spain Mortuary, where an autopsy will be done today. Artama Junior was a crew member on a Taiwanese fishing vessel which docked at the City Port to refuel and stock up on supplies. Police sources said they do not know as yet if the car in which the fishermen were travelling was rented or owned by one of them. Both vehicles were later towed to the yard of the Traffic Branch station, Sea Lots. Visiting the scene were investigating officer Ag Cpl Greenidge and other officers.