Hampden residents renew call for pedestrian crossing after fatal accident

Tobago's Hampden/Lowlands/Auchenskeoch community is calling for a pedestrian crossing.

President of the community council Lyndy-Anne Parks made the call on Tuesday.

She was addressing the Executive Council district town hall meeting in the Lambeau/ Lowlands electoral district at the Lowlands Multipurpose Facility.

Parks expressed her condolences on the passing of Samuel Wilkinson, whom she described as a longstanding community resident.

Wilkinson, from Milford Road, Hampden, was Tobago’s tenth road fatality for the year. He was killed while trying to cross the Claude Noel Highway at around 7.15 pm on Sunday. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision near the Lowlands Mall.

Police said Wilkinson tried to cross the highway from north to south but was hit by a Mitsubishi Lancer driven by a Delaford man. Investigations are ongoing.

Parks said, as a resident for over 30 years, she met Wilkinson in the area.

“So probably about 30 or 40 years, Samuel resided here, a beloved member of the community, a humble man, a quiet man, a helpful man.”

She said ironically, she saw him recently, and recalled their last conversation, “at the junction on the Claude Noel Highway that leads into Kadds supermarket. I was standing there and I looked at that area (and it) is very, very busy. When he finally crossed over, he said to me, 'I really hope we getting our pedestrian crossing.'”

She said what Wilkinson was referring to was one of the concerns raised by the council previously with the electoral representative, Wane Clarke. She said a crossing was also necessary along the Claude Noel Highway, closer to First Citizens Bank.

In response, THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine said both areas would be looked at, and asked Assistant Secretary of Infrastructure, Quarries and Urban Development Joel Sampson to intervene.

“Talk to your transport engineer. I don’t know if we could do the caution lights by Kadds that slow the traffic down so people can pass. Up at FCB bank requires some thought.”