Four killed in accidents, including 6-year-old boy

The carnage on the nation’s roadways continued unabated yesterday as four persons, including a six-year-old boy, lost their lives in separate accidents in Central Trinidad. According to police reports, the first accident occurred around 11.45 am on Friday morning when a white Mitsubshi pick-up, TBA 3811, driven by Balliram Mootilal, 40, of 117 Nolan Street, Felicity, was involved in a three-car smash-up in the vicinity of the Balmain Presbyterian School, Rivulet Road, Couva. Mootilal sustained head and other injuries and was rushed to the Couva Health facility but was subsequently transferred to the San Fernando General Hospital where he succumbed to injuries around 3.15 pm on Friday.
   
Motilal, an employee of the Ministry of  Education’s maintenance department, was the father of three young children. A family member who asked not to be identified, told Sunday Newsday yesterday that the family was having a hard time coming to grips with Mootilal’s sudden death. She said that Mootilal was the sole breadwinner. Officers from the Couva Police Station are continuing investigations. In the other fatality, around 3.15 pm on Friday, six-year-old Johnathan Ram, of Todd’s Road, Longdenville, was attempting to cross the Caparo Main Road when he was struck by a van. Ram, a student of the Todd’s Road RC Primary School, was rushed to the Chaguanas Health Facility but was transferred to the Mount Hope Medical Centre. He died around 5.30 pm. Then, around 12.45 am yesterday, Carlos Boyce, 35, of Arena Road, San Rafael, was the front seat passenger of green Lancer which struck another vehicle travelling in the opposite direction along the Southern Main Road, Longdenville.

Boyce was rushed to Chaguanas Health Facility but was pronounced dead on arrival. Three other occupants of the vehicle Boyce was in, suffered minor injuries and were treated and discharged. An hour later around 1.45 pm, Wallace Albinas, 42, of Gran Couva was driving south along the Uriah Butler Highway in the vicinity of the Divali Nagar site when he apparently lost control of his white Datsun pick-up. The vehicle slammed into a steel TTEC lamp post and Albinas,  according to police reports, was killed instantly. Police Officers of the Chaguanas Police Station responded to these accidents and are continuing investigations. However, some officers from the station were themselves involved in an accident while at the scene conducting inquiries where Albinas met his death. According to reports, a black hatch-back Laser car crashed into the police patrol car which was parked on the shoulder of the highway.

According to an eyewitness account, police officers conducting Highway patrol, stopped their vehicle on the highway to assist other police officers who were attempting to remove Albinas from the wrecked vehicle. The policemen, together with other passersby, were all standing in front of the vehicle, when a black Laser car travelling on the South-bound lane slammed into the back of police patrol car. The report said the policemen and four other persons who were standing in front of the police vehicle, were slightly injured. All three vehicles, including the patrol car, were taken to the Chaguanas Police Station. Investigations are continuing into all four accidents.