Three killed in crash

UPDATED:

Five days ago, Alex Lalla called on his friends to treasure every moment with their loved ones as they have no idea when they would pass from this life. Alex, a fitness instructor who lived in Balmain, Couva was killed yesterday in an accident on his 27th birthday. Two other men were also killed.

On his Facebook page, on October 1, Lalla wrote: “Friends and colleagues please enjoy your moments with your parents...never know when the time would be up.” He lived with his parents and younger brother Aaron, 20, at Greg Street in Couva. His mother died of pancreatic cancer two years ago.

To celebrate his birthday Alex and two close friends Romel Rambally, 32, a fire officer who was based at Chaguanas Fire Station and Kareem Simon who lived in Claxton Bay, went out to celebrate. They were returning home during the early morning hours yesterday when death came calling.

Police reported that at 4.30 am, Lalla was driving a blue Toyota Corolla car south along the Uriah Butler Highway. Rambally was in the front passenger seat while Simon was in the back. It is suspected that Lalla fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into one of the concrete pillars at the Munroe Road overpass. All three died on impact.

Ironically, Rambally’s colleagues at the nearby Chaguanas Fire Station responded to the scene only to realize one of the victims was one of their own. Firemen wept at the scene. The bodies were removed to the Forensic Science Centre in St James for autopsies. The early morning accident caused a huge traffic pile-up along the highway and police.

At Alex’s home in Balmain, relatives sat in shock as they struggled to cope with their loss. Younger brother Aaron pondered a future without his big brother. Aaron said he learned of his brother’s death over social media. By the time he reached the scene, the bodies were already removed.

“My brother was a careful driver who never liked speeding. He was a good person and loved the gym,” he said. Alex’s father Kenneth Lalla, an internal auditor at the Ministry of Local Government said it was difficult to deal with the loss of his son two years after he lost his wife.

At the Sandy View, Claxton Bay home of Simon, his relatives were too distraught to speak with reporters.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Three men died in a road accident this morning on the Solomon Hochoy Highway.

Fire Officer, Romel Rambally, Alex Lalla, and Kareem Solomon were heading south on the highway around 5am when the accident occurred near the Chase Village overpass.

Rambally, an officer for six years, was attached to the Chaguanas Fire Station.

Around 1am, Lalla posted his last Facebook post, wishing himself a happy birthday, showing an assortment of alcoholic shots. His page said he was 27 years old. (Image has been modified to censor inappropriate language)

More details will made available with further investigation.