Woman sues over son’s death

The Ministry of Works and Transport is being sued over the death of a 19-year-old man two years ago because of its alleged failure to install a pedestrian crossing, or at least a zebra crossing, at the T-Junction intersection by Gulf City Mall.

Jillian Walker, the mother of Jhamall Kelly-Walker, filed a lawsuit against the Attorney General as the legal entity responsible for actions of the ministry. Kelly-Walker was knocked down by a car on January 31, 2015, as he tried to cross the five-lane junction at about midday to get to his workplace at Fun City. He died the following day at San Fernando General Hospital.

In the lawsuit filed last week Wednesday, Walker’s attorney Ted Roopnarine also named driver of the car Sean Sebro and Colfire Insurance Ltd as defendants. Roopnarine outlined particulars of the negligence claim as it relates to responsibility of the ministry for providing facilities for highways and roads.

The ministry ought to have been aware of the need for a pedestrian crossing at the junction, the lawsuit stated, particularly because of the number of people who cross from the taxi stand in Gulf City Mall to their respective destinations. The attorney argued that mere traffic lights at the junction and not a pedestrian crossing creates an improper and hazardous situation for pedestrians.

The lawsuit claimed there were many reports of pedestrians being injured and on several occasions, killed while crossing at this junction. The ministry, attorney Roopnarine alleged, failed to rectify the hazardous crossing area and is therefore liable for Kelly-Walker’s death.

Regarding Sebro, the lawsuit said he ought to have driven cautiously when approaching such the junction because he was aware that pedestrians often cross at the traffic lights.