Man crushed to death at Government Quarry;
Marine Works Director to take legal action against sacked worker!
By Stanford Conway
Editor-in-Chief-SKNVibes.com
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – JUST nine days after the West Basseterre By-Pass Bridge collapsed, killing Allick Toney in the process, another industrial accident occurred resulting in the death of a Lodge resident.
Valentine ‘Kitchener’ Thompson of Lodge Village, who was employed with the St. Kitts Marine Works Ltd. as a serviceman, was crushed to death at about 9:30 this morning while transporting rocks at the Government’s Quarry at Canada Estate.
According to Nicholas Farrington, a heavy-duty vehicle driver and employee of the same company, he was below the hill when news reached him that the truck Thompson was driving had overturned, killing him on the spot.
Farrington told reporters that he was the person to have driven the vehicle up the hill to transport rocks and not Thompson. Farrington claimed that he had only worked one day in the week [Tuesday] and was told to “take Thursday off” because of his absence at work on Wednesday, but was called out to duty today [Friday] and refused to drive the vehicle up the hill.
“I work on the site, I never at the site when it happen up there. All wha I know I see the truck when it turn off and it went up, but I am the driver that refused to drive it this morning because I tell them it’s not good enough to go up the hill it’s a truck that more suits a flat,” he said.~~Adz:Right~~
Farrington also said that particular truck was not like a number of other vehicles owned by the company: “It ain’t the type of truck like these and the other two yellow ones wha you see there with engine brakes wha is safe…I tell them ah not tekking no chance in that truck; it’s not safe for going up there, so I refused.”
Farrington said he is an experienced driver of heavy-duty vehicles and explained that engine brakes is a device, when activated, reduces the revs of the engine: “If the truck brakes is not holding good, the engine brakes cut the engine down and make it idle low.”
Farrington explained that his refusal was told to the Personnel Officer, Sam Baley, who informed him that “since you ain’t going drive it we ain’t got nothing here for you to do”.
“He tell me that he going out and when he come back he will talk to me. So I was making up meh mind when he come back tell him just send me off because I tell him me ain’t going in it cause I done change off me shirt. I tell Baley suh and then ah tell Reggie…Baley try to spite me! Cause me ain’t come out Wednesday he tell me don’t come out Thursday to work, so I say who gon pay me foh Thursday,” Farrington said.
However, owner and Director of Marine Works Ltd., Reginald Francis had a different version of what transpired. He told SKNVibes that at the time of the accident Farrington was not employed with his company; he was fired because of regular absence from work and that he was not a team player.
Francis said that Thompson was not authorised or given instructions to drive the truck. “Thompson, like all other workers, would normally be given a chance to drive these vehicles within the confines of the area where we work. They are not allowed to drive on the public roads or up the hills to transport rocks or anything.”
Francis pointed out that the reason for allowing his workers access to the vehicles, under supervision, “is to provide them opportunities to become skilled workers by taking the relevant tests and acquiring the license of heavy-duty vehicle drivers”. ~~Adz:Right~~
He said the statements made by Farrington are false as well as discriminatory and he would take legal action against him.
Francis explained that the vehicle was capable to ascend and descend the hills within his company’s area of operation and it was equipped with all the necessary safety devices, which was verified by David Huggins, a certified mechanic who was taken to the scene by the police.
He however offered his sympathy to the bereaved family, relatives and friends of Thompson, whom he claimed was one of his better employees.
“Thompson was employed in my company as a Serviceman. He is a former SSMC employee and has been with my company close to three years. He was a very good and reliable worker and I wouldn’t mind if the company had lost a truck or two, but not a life. This is the first time my company has recorded an accident…no one has ever suffered a broken arm or limb in its four-year history,” the Director said.
Francis also explained that he was not on the site when the accident occurred and from what he learnt, Thompson had the truck in "neutral" and his death could be classified as a human error in judgment.
One employee, on the term of anonymity, told SKNVibes that the truck was loaded with heavy boulders and was on its way down the steep hill when Thompson lost control and jumped out of the driver’s seat.
He added that the truck capsized and a large boulder rolled over him, “ripping open his lower abdomen and crushing the lower part of his body”.
Dr. Mervyn Laws, District Medical Officer, visited the scene of the accident and pronounced Valentine ‘Kitchener’ Thompson dead.
Police investigations are ongoing.
