First Tobago road fatality for 2006

Newsday was told that shortly after 10 pm, Keith George, a truck driver of Lowlands, Tobago came out of his truck to assist two men who had gotten into an accident earlier, when a blue Ford car heading east, struck George before crashing into one of the cars which was in the first accident and which was driven by Wade Martineau.

A shaken Nathaniel Frederick Jr, the other driver involved in the first accident, told Newsday had it not been for quick thinking, there could have been multiple deaths.

Fredrerick recalled George had just come out of his truck and was mediating between him (Frederick) and Martineau when a passerby shouted for them to get out of the way as there was a car careening towards them.

Frederick and Martineau barely managed to escape by jumping into a nearby drain, but George whose back was turned to the approaching vehicle, was knocked down and killed. EHS and Fire Service officials were called to the scene and the dazed accident victims were taken to Scarborough Hospital.

Visiting the scene was County Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) Dr Mentor Melville who ordered the body removed to the Scarborough mortuary, shortly after midnight. Dr Melville said George sustained a broken right wrist and left ankle as well as lacerations to his face.

A post mortem is expected to be carried out today to officially ascertain cause of death. Officers of the Scarborough Traffic Branch are continuing investigations.

The vehicle which struck George has been impounded by the police pending further investigations.