BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A Tabernacle bus driver tragically lost his life this afternoon when his vehicle collided head-on with a school bus around 4:00 in the Belle Vue area.
Upon arrival at the scene, SKNVibes observed the schools bus, a wrecked passenger bus and the body of a deceased man covered by a sheet. Investigations revealed that the victim was Clyde Lake of Tabernacle, who is believed to be 51 years of age.
Queues dozens of vehicles long flanked the road on both sides of the wreckage and crowds converged on the area shortly after the incident occurred. A Fire and Rescue Services unit, an Emergency Medical Services unit and area police officers were summoned to the scene to render assistance and maintain order in the potentially chaotic situation.
Initial information surrounding the accident suggests that the school bus was travelling east along the Island Main Road when a collision took place between it and Lake’s passenger bus, registration number H8253.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that while the school bus was travelling eastbound a passenger bus, identified only as ‘Jah Flicks’, was traveling westbound with Lake travelling behind it. The reports suggest that Lake made an attempt to overtake ‘Jah Flicks’ and collided with the front right-hand side of the school bus.
The driver of the school bus, who has been identified at Alphonso Isaac of Old Road, reportedly saw the impending danger and made an attempt to avoid it by swerving to his left.
While Lake was the sole occupant of H8253, the school bus contained a number of school children who were being transported from their schools to their homes.
A female occupant of the bus recounted to SKNVibes the moments leading up to and following the fatal incident.
“We were just on the school bus going home when we saw the bus driving to overtake Jah Flicks. Then it started to swag when it was going to hit the bus. All of a sudden ‘BAM’, and then when I looked up, the bus was really mash up.”
She said that she had mixed emotions, being saddened by the loss of Lake’s life but grateful that others were spared in the serious collision.
“Lord, ah shaking. I am happy and shocked at the same time. It’s good that none of us on the bus lost our lives, but I was so shocked when I saw Clive’s body on the ground like that,” she said.
District Medical Officer Dr. Garfield Alexander was on scene and pronounced Lake dead shortly before his body was removed by a Jenkins Funeral Home hearse.
SKNVibes was reliably informed that approximately 18 students who were travelling on the bus complained of injuries, including bleeding noses, neck pains, bruised limbs, cuts and scrapes from shards of glass.
A number of the youths were transported to the hospital via ambulance.
Inspector Cromwell Henry, Public Relation Officer to the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force indicated that investigations into the matter are ongoing.
Lake is the Federation’s fourth road fatality for the year.
