Guyanese woman dies in Antigua road accident

Guyanese woman dies in Antigua road accident

(Antigua Observer)  A relative of the country’s latest road fatality victim, Carolin Tobin-John-Baptiste, said her family was thrown into shock on Sunday night when they received the news she had been struck down while crossing All Saints Road.

John-Baptiste’s elder daughter Besseyoud Gouveia-Jones said her 46-year-old mother resided with her in Briggins and at the time of the tragedy, the family believed that she visiting a friend.

“The last thing I know, was she was spending the day with a friend. But apparently she had come home and she had gone out again. We did not know that until after we were told about the accident … we’re not sure where she was going afterwards, maybe she was going on a quick errand,” Gouveia-Jones said.

The 28 year old said the deceased was a very friendly person and that she and her 16-year-old sister will miss their mother “a lot.”

The dead woman’s daughter told OBSERVER media that her mother was scheduled to migrate to the United Kingdom in December to work as a cook, but she did not leave then because “she wanted to spend Christmas with her family.”

Gouveia-Jones said her mother had pushed back her travel date on two occasions and the last one was due to personal, unforeseen circumstances.

Bishop Charlesworth Browne who was the dead woman’s most recent landlord, described her as “pleasant, kind,” and was “always on the go.”

Police, in a press statement, said they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the tragedy, which occurred in the vicinity of the John I Martin Race Track.

Lawmen said the Guyanese-born woman, was struck down by a Salvation Army bus C7396 which was travelling west on the wet, unlit road. She was pronounced dead on the scene.

The driver of the bus, 67-year-old James Anthony of Tindale Road, was warned of possible prosecution as investigations continue. He had not been arrested and charged up to last night.

The accident, which occurred around 8:30 pm, caused a severe back-up of traffic on the usually busy All Saints Road. Police asked drivers to divert to by-roads for at least two hours as they combed the scene for evidence that could help unveil what occurred.

John-Baptiste is the second person to die in a road accident so far this year. The first was construction worker Murtland Baggot, also of Guyana.

He was travelling in the bed of a pickup truck which was allegedly struck by another vehicle which police said was driven by Quintranela Anthony. Baggot was thrown from the truck and died at hospital.   Anthony has since been charged with causing the death by dangerous driving.

 

Filed: 3rd February, 2015

One Response to "Guyanese woman dies in Antigua road accident"

    You must be logged in to post a comment Login