BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – FURTHER investigations by this publication into the controversial traffic accident, which occurred at the junction of West Independence Square and Central Streets on Thursday, March 27, have led to the conclusion that there had been some degree of ‘foot-dragging’ by the police in execution of their duty.
This belief comes in the wake of the police investigation which may have only started after the driver of vehicle P319 had reported to the station on Thursday (Apr. 10) and gave a statement on the matter.
In Jeannette Matthew’s account of the accident, the young woman emphatically stated that she had reported the matter at the Basseterre Police Station on the same afternoon when it occurred, and when she called four days after to enquire about its progress was told that it was in the hands of the Traffic Department.
On the other hand, it had taken the driver of the vehicle, whose name was given to this media house as Randolph Edmeade, 15 days to confirm that the accident did occur and to give the police a statement.
From this backdrop, it clearly depicts that something is amiss. Fingers are therefore pointing at the officer who had taken Matthew’s statement and the one who received it; and it begs the questions: Was the information passed to the Traffic Department as stated by the officer at the Basseterre Police Station? If so, then who was the recipient and why the Head of the Traffic Department had no knowledge of the incident?
According to Matthew, she had called the Traffic Department on Tuesday (Apr. 1) in an attempt to speak with the Officer-in-Charge, Inspector Carl Caines, on the matter.
“I tried speaking to Inspector Caines after I felt like I was getting the run around. I did not get to speak to Caines but I spoke to an Officer Liburd, who told me that Caines or someone would get in touch with me because I needed to do a statement.”
Matthew informed that after not being contacted, she went to the Traffic Department the next day (Apr. 2) and gave a statement. She said that while there, she saw and spoke to Inspector Caines who informed that he had no knowledge of the matter until the previous day when she had called.
She said he assured her that someone would look into the matter, adding that she visited her doctor on the same day and had an X-ray done on the Friday (Apr. 4). Matthew claimed that she suffered an injury to her right hand after the vehicle struck her on that part of her body and also her right hip.
"I got a call from the very rude Officer Liburd, telling me that I needed to go to the police station to give a statement. I tried explaining to him that I already did that on Wednesday [and] he got quite rude and quite upset and said, ‘That was not a statement, it was a report. You need to come and if you're not coming...’ And with that he hung up the phone.”
Matthew explained that she went to the station the next day (Apr. 5) and told the officer who was going to take her statement that she had already done so, and she was proven correct after checks were made.
She said she asked what would be the next step and was told that she would be contacted and they would decide if they would take the matter to Court.
Matthew declared that she was not contacted and therefore decided to make the matter public.
Speaking with this media house on Thursday (Apr. 10), Edmeade said he did not see it as an accident where Matthew was injured, but after reading about the incident on SKNVibes.com, he decided to visit the police and give a statement.
However, the controversies surrounding this incident are based upon Edmeade not offering an apology, driving away from the scene and not providing his name to the victim, who said she had committed to memory his vehicle’s number.
One may ask: “Then who is lying?”
While Edmeade claimed not only he, but also his wife had apologised and Matthew did not request his name, Matthew, on the other hand, is adamant that she had spoken the truth.
It is common knowledge that whenever an accident occurs in the absence of a police officer, either of the two parties involved would try to make contact with the law enforcement body. However, circumstances, which depend on the gravity of the situation, may dictate that they both leave the scene after an exchange of identification and where and or how they could be contacted.
That, however, did not transpire between the parties involved in this matter.
In his account of what transpired, Edmeade claimed that he did not realise his vehicle had struck Matthew.
“I was looking towards the northern side of West Independence Square Street to seize the opportunity to move off when there was no oncoming traffic. I saw a vehicle was approaching, but it was not close to Central Street, and I immediately turned onto West Independence Square Street.
“I did not see the young lady. She was on my blind side and I am not disputing that the vehicle impacted her, but I did not feel any impact. However, after it was made known that she was impacted, I stopped the vehicle and offered an apology. Also, I did not see it as an accident where she was injured. After apologising, I drove off and I heard someone shout something about name, but I did not realise it was the young lady requesting mine until I read it on SKNVibes.
“At no point when my wife and I offered her our apologies did she ask for my name. I am also guilty of that because I too did not request her name.”
When contacted, Inspector Caines confirmed that Edmeade had given a statement to the police and that investigations into the matter are ongoing.
He also stated that once enough evidence points to Edmeade being the guilty party, charges would be preferred against him.
Inspector Caines indicated that if Edmeade had not given a statement and during police’s investigation he had denied being involved in the accident and the victim does not any witness to substantiate her claims, there are other avenues she could have taken.
And while Edmeade is saying if “she needs to be compensated she will be”, an individual close to Matthew told SKNVibes that she was not seeking compensation but wants to see justice served.
