[UPDATED] Sunday morning outing ends in tragedy: 2 KILLED IN CRASH

A SUNDAY morning trip by three men, who were on their way to join up with friends for a hike, ended in tragedy when their car crashed off the Uriah Butler Highway in Chaguanas, killing two of the men and leaving the third in hospital with serious injuries.

The deaths have brought to 63, the number of people killed in accidents so far this year.

The victims have been identified as Anthony Grant, 35, and Branj Smith, 18, who were both passengers and whose bodies were found near the car after the impact caused them to be flung from the vehicle. The driver, Shawn Martin, 24, who is a relative of Smith, survived but was in critical condition, up to press time, at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope.

Grant’s mother Joy Vincent, 61, of Pleasantville, spoke briefly with Newsday hours after the accident saying the men were on their way to a hike "somewhere in the northern range."

Vincent recalled that some of Grant's friends came to her home shortly after 11 am, saying they had passed to give her "some bad news" about him.

"I asked them what happened to Anthony and they said he died in an accident. He died at the scene. They said he and his friends were going hiking and the car lost control," Vincent said. "He was a nice child, very hard working."

She said Grant lived alone in Union Hall, San Fernando and worked as a loader with a beverage company. He was unmarried and did not have any children. Vincent said she last spoke to him about a week ago.

Smith lived at Lisas Gardens in Couva and was a former student of Carapichaima West Secondary School. When Newsday visited his home, relatives said no one was available to comment. Martin is said to also be from Couva but efforts to locate his relatives were unsuccessful.

Police said that at around 8.45 am, Martin lost control of the car which was proceeding along the north-bound lane of the highway. The car crashed into a concrete culvert near Birjah Road. Police said other drivers who witnessed the accident reported that the car flipped several times before landing on its hood.

Police said they believe Smith and Grant were not wearing seatbelts and were thrown out of the car as it flipped over and over. The driver was found inside the wreckage with his seatbelt locked in. Chaguanas police and fire officers visited the scene.

Police road safety co-ordinator Sgt Brent Batson offered condolences to the families of Grant and Smith on behalf of the police service. He said police continue their road safety efforts through several means including speed enforcement and issuing tickets to errant drivers.

"All we are trying to do is prevent these tragedies. Initial reports suggest the car was moving at a high rate of speed when it hit the culvert. The fact that the occupants were ejected strongly suggests that perhaps they were not wearing their seatbelt," Batson said.

He added, "Tragic incidents like this so close to Divali and Christmas, when families come together, shows the immeasurable loss felt by loved ones. It is sad to know people will look at these incidents yet still drive dangerously and recklessly."

For the same period last year, this country had 75 road fatalities.

"The driver is in critical condition at hospital and we hope he pulls through," Batson said.

"Accidents are still preventable, and acting Commissioner of Police McDonald Jacob has put road safety as one of his continuing priorities. Police are ramping up their efforts going into the end of the year."

Batson called on the public to get on board by obeying road safety regulations.

This story was originally published with the title "Two men killed in Chaguanas accident" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

TWO MEN died on Sunday morning in a car accident in Chaguanas.

However, a third man – believed to be the driver – survived the crash and was taken to the hospital with multiple injuries.

Police identified the driver as Shawn Martin.

A report said at around 8.45 am, Martin and two passengers identified only as Grant and Smith, were in the blue car. The driver lost control and crashed into a concrete culvert on the corner of the northbound lane of the Uriah Butler Highway and Birjah Road. The car flipped several times.

Police sources said that it appeared that the passengers were not wearing seatbelts, and were thrown out of the car.

Investigations are ongoing.