El Dorado man — first road fatality for 2004

A 48-year-old father of six is the first road fatality for the year 2004. Claudius James, of Rickson Street, El Dorado, was killed instantly after he was hit by a car on the Beetham Highway, Port-of-Spain. According to the wife of the deceased, Anne Marie James, her husband left home to visit friends in Arouca. However, James’ wife said she was contacted yesterday and was told that her husband had been killed in a hit and run accident. Police reports state that James was in the company of a friend. It is believed that the car in which James and his friend were travelling, stalled along the highway and as James came out to get help a car travelling in an easterly direction hit him from behind, throwing his body several feet in the air. He died on the spot.

When Newsday visited the scene of the accident just before lunch time yesterday, James’ wife and another relative wept openly as they looked at his body which was still at the side of the road. Reports state that the dead man’s body was left at the side of the road for nearly ten hours before it was removed. Asked by police officers whether there was a problem in contacting a District Medical Officer to visit the scene, officers declined to comment. The dead man was removed shortly before noon yesterday. Officers of the Port-of-Spain Traffic Branch are continuing investigations.