BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE Federation has recorded its first road fatality for the year with the early morning death of Pincheon Hanley.
A police press release issued today (May 16) reveals the traffic accident occurred at about 2:30 on Pond Road this morning. The accident involved motor jeep PA 8217, owned and driven by Neil Simon of Newton Ground, and a pedestrian, the 44-year-old Hanley, who hailed from Santo Domingo but resided at Ponds Extension.
The release further states, “Investigations reveal that the jeep was travelling eastwards along Pond Road when the pedestrian attempted to cross the road from the Spanish Bar and collided with the jeep. The left front fender of the jeep was damaged.
“Hanley was taken to the Joseph N. France Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death. Investigations are ongoing.”
SKNVibes contacted Sergeant Carl Caines of the Traffic Department, who disclosed that 11 road fatalities were recorded last year in comparison to eight in 2007.
Caines attributed the increase to “a number of things”, especially incidences of persons driving while under the influence of alcohol or sleepy. He cautioned motorists to avoid getting behind the wheel in situations like those when “their alertness is reduced and their awareness of the road is not what it should be”.
The Sergeant however noted that 1 140 traffic accidents were recorded in 2008, a slight decrease from the 1 164 recorded in 2007. Police statistics indicates that there have been 256 accidents up to March of this year.
“The decrease is the result of the Department’s public education campaigns about safe driving and obeying the speed limit. It is also because of the increase in convictions and prosecutions in traffic-related offences over the past several months.
“When people know they will be prosecuted or that they can lose their licences for reckless driving, they’re going to be more careful. That’s what we’ve been seeing recently,” Caines explained.
