Police: Pedestrian road deaths on the rise

PEDESTRIAN deaths account for 45 per cent of road traffic fatalities, to date.

Police road safety co-ordinator Brent Batson shared this data when commenting on the death of a pedestrian killed while trying to cross the Churchill Roosevelt Highway near Golden Grove Road, Piarco.

The fatal accident occurred around 9 pm on November 6. Reports say the 20-year-old driver claimed he did not see the unidentified man, who walked into the path of his car.

A video of the aftermath showing the man on the road was shared on social media.

At the time of publication, the victim's identity remained unknown. Police are continuing their investigation and called on anyone with information about the victim to come forward.

In a WhatsApp conversation with Newsday, Batson said road fatalities have increased. Comparing the figures for 2023 and 2024, he said there has been a six per cent rise, with 95 fatalities in 2024, compared to last year's 90.

He said the trend of pedestrian deaths is becoming increasingly challenging for drivers on highways as people continue to put both themselves and drivers' lives at risk by engaging in unsafe practices.

“At 100 km/h, the impact speed on the human body is unsurvivable.

"Yet pedestrians are still choosing to cross six lanes of highway traffic instead of using a pedestrian overpass or finding an alternative way to cross.”

He called on drivers to remain alert on the road and to reduce their speed. This, he said, would give them more control in case they need to stop suddenly to avoid hitting anyone recklessly crossing the road.

"Reducing their speed might help drivers reduce the severity of a collision and increase the chances of pedestrian survival."

Just days into the new year, on January 4, an unidentified man was fatally struck while crossing the Churchill Roosevelt Highway near the Courts Megastore walkover in El Socorro. Reports say around 5.50 am, a vehicle heading east hit the man. A second vehicle also struck the man, who died at the scene.

In August, police issued a warning to the public after a man was killed while trying to cross the westbound lane of the Churchill Roosevelt Highway near the Aranguez Overpass on August 26.

On August 17, a 69-year-old man, identified as Kent Mitchell, was killed after he was hit by a gas tanker in Marabella. Mitchell, who had no fixed address, was trying to cross Union Road when the truck driver, who had stopped to allow another vehicle to exit Amarsingh Street, resumed driving and ran him over. He was killed on impact.

On July 28, prison officer Mahendra Ramdial, from Couva, was tragically struck and killed while trying to help two drivers involved in an accident on the Solomon Hochoy Highway.

Ramdial, who had just finished his shift at Caura Hospital, where he was guarding a prisoner, died at the scene, on the southbound lane, near Massy Stores.