Filipino pharmacist dies in crash

Police reports indicate that pharmacist Venus Gorre, 32, was crossing the Priority Bus Route (PBR) near the Curepe traffic lights in company with her friend Andrew Ramirez, when a vehicle driven by a Prisons Officer, knocked her down.

Gorre, a mother of two, was taken to the nearby Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) in Mt Hope where she succumbed to her injuries while undergoing emergency treatment.

The Prisons Officer was subsequently interviewed by police officers. Sources said he was traumatised by the incident. Police sources added that the driver did not have a pass to legally use the PBR.

Yesterday, friends and fellow pharmacists expressed shock and horror over her death. She is believed to be the first Filipino pharmacist to die in this country.

They added that she was an intelligent woman with a bright future.

Gorre came to Trinidad eight months ago and was living in Tacarigua. Dr Roxanne Tantoco, District Medical Officer for the Eastern Regional Health Authority and Dr Marie Advani, Counsel for the Filipinos working in this country, both spoke highly of Gorre.

The parents of the dead woman are expected to arrive in the country today from Manila. Newsday understands that Gorre’s two children Daphne, five, and Aaliyah, 11, were informed of her passing. Funeral arrangements are yet to be finalised.

Health Ministry Public Relations Officer Keith Sancho said the accident was “most unfortunate and regrettable.” “Officials at the ministry are in shock and we extend our deepest condolences to the entire Filipino community,” Sancho said. Police investigations into the incident are continuing. Gorre was the 52nd road fatality for the year.