Police: Don't share video of road accident death

THE police have asked the public not to share disturbing video footage of an incident in which a man was killed while trying to cross the Uriah Butler Highway on Monday night.

The gruesome content of the video, which was shared hundreds of times and posted on What’sApp, shocked social media users.

A police report said around 7.10 pm, a car was heading north along the highway on the left lane when the right front side hit Balraj Lutchman, 66, of Carlsen Field, Chaguanas Guayamare Bridge.

Lutchman was thrown into the air and landed in the middle lane.

Before the first driver could stop at a safe distance and get out of his car to check, several other cars had already run over Lutchman. In the two-minute video, up to six cars, including a van, are seen driving over Lutchman's body, dragging him 300 feet.

Three cars managed to veer away from him without colliding with other vehicles in the right or left lanes. But by the time police arrived, the body had been mangled.

The area was cordoned off.

Lutchman's son identified him after arriving around 8.20.

Investigators are continuing inquiries.

In another matter, police are seeking the public’s assistance in dealing with a hit-and-run incident that happened on Sunday, along the Paria Main Road, La Fillette.

Leroy “Mellow” De Verteuil, 39, died after being hit by a car around 3pm. Investigations are taking place to identify the driver and vehicle involved.

These two fatalities bring the 2023 road death figure to 62 compared to 66 for the same period last year.

For 2023, there have been nine pedestrian deaths on highways. In 2022, for the same period, there were ten, police road safety co-ordinator Brent Batson told Newsday.

Pedestrian deaths for 2023 so far have seen a 48 per cent decrease compared to 2022 (14, compared to 27).

In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, police asked "all road users, motorists and pedestrians alike that they should pay attention to the road traffic laws and exercise due care and attention when using the nation’s roadways... Pedestrians are reminded to utilise crosswalks and walkovers wherever they are provided for their safety and those of the motoring fraternity.”