Brothers die in crash

TRAGEDY struck a Sangre Grande family a mere five days before Christmas, when two brothers, one of whom is a policeman, died instantly when the car in which they were travelling, crashed into a wall off the Valencia Stretch early yesterday morning. So mangled was the wreck of Police Constable Kirt Brereton’s burgundy Nissan B13 car, that police had to cut through twisted metal to retrieve the bloodstained bodies of Brereton who was driving and his younger brother Keron, who was the passenger.

Eyewitnesses told police the vehicle ran off the wet road and was airborne for sometime before first crashing into a sign post and then slamming into the concrete wall on premises located off the stretch at the corner of Maycock Street and Valencia Main Road. According to police reports, around 2.45 am, PC Brereton, 29, was heading home and proceeding east along the Valencia stretch in the company of his brother after they dropped off their uncle Hollis Farrell at his (Farrell) home. Upon reaching Maycock Street, Kirt reportedly lost control of his vehicle which started to skid along the wet road before careening off to the right of the road and crashing into a sign post, and then into the concrete wall of a nearby house. Residents who heard the crash ran to the scene of the accident and spotted the brothers pinned inside the mangled wreck, but were unable to pull them out of the twisted vehicle.

The police and Fire Department were summoned. Fire officer Jones used a hydraulic cutting device known as the “Jaws of Life” in order to reach the brothers, but, it was too late to save their lives. Newsday was told that the policeman was married and was the father of two toddlers — Alex, one, and Kerisha, three. PC Brereton who was last posted at Arima Police Station, was reportedly on leave from his job when he died. His brother Keron was employed as an On the Job Training (OJT) worker at the Education Ministry’s Sangre Grande office. A weeping Garvin Dubisette, the deceased brothers’ cousin, told Newsday Keron had collected his first ever pay cheque last Friday and was very happy over his achievement of getting a job.

Through his tears, Dubisette said that he and Keron were busy shopping a few days ago when Keron purchased a pair of sneakers and some T-shirts which he (Keron) said he was going to wear for Christmas. Instead, Dubisette cried, Keron died in one of the new T-shirts. Residents of Maycock Street said when they heard the crash, they thought it was a transformer exploding. Residents also said so great was the impact that parts of Brereton’s vehicle were strewn all over the lawn of the property on which the wreck landed. Visiting the scene were Cpls Beverley Paul and Martin Mayuen and PCs Anil Baboolal, WPC Pamela Persad, Peter John and Joan Sandy. Cynthia Brereton said she last saw her sons alive when they were all at home helping to clean the house in preparation for Christmas celebrations. She said her brother Hollis Farrell telephoned to say he could not get transport home. He asked her if Kirt was at home and if he could give him (Farrell) a drop.

The weeping woman said she relayed the message to her son who said “no problem.” Keron also decided to join his brother for the trip, which proved to be their last ride. Before leaving, Keron told his mom, “we go sight up.” The grieving mother said she started to worry when her brother called to say he arrived home, but her sons were still out. At 3 am, her worst nightmare was realised when a call from the police confirmed that her sons were dead — killed in an accident. Through her tears, she described her sons as respectable, honest and trustworthy. DMO Dr Bandakao Chalam viewed the bodies and ordered them removed to the Sangre Grande Mortuary. Up to late yesterday efforts were being made to have autopsies performed. The brothers’ deaths have sent the road fatality figure for this year to 185, with exactly ten days left in the year. A sombre Snr Supt Ruthven Bastien said he wanted to remind the travelling public to exercise extreme caution when on the nation’s roads especially during the hectic Christmas and Carnival seasons. PCs John and Sandy of Valencia Police Station are continuing investigations.