Marabella teen car-crash victims to be buried on February 19

TWO friends who died  after being injured in a car accident on February 11 will be buried side by side at the Marabella Cemetery, on February 19.

The funeral of Kelita Jamal King, 16, of Riverside Road, Battoo Boulevard, and Trey Collymore, 14, of Union Park East, both of Marabella, will take place at the Marabella Evangelical Church, 63 Battoo Street, at 2 pm.

After the service, the friends will be laid to rest side by side.

Autopsies on the bodies of the two at the mortuary of the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) on February 15 gave the cause of death as internal bleeding and haemorrhage and cervical spine fracture

Done by Dr Kavita Phagoo, Collymore's autopsy gave his cause of death as cervical spine fracture with transection of spinal cord, said to be due to a road traffic accident.

Collymore was said to have suffered bilateral haemothoraces and haemoperitoneum secondary, also due to the road traffic accident.

Haemoperitoneum is bleeding within the peritoneal cavity, the space that contains the abdominal and pelvic organs. Other names for it include intraperitoneal haemorrhage and intra-abdominal haemorrhage.

The two were back-seat passengers in a Nissan Tiida driven by an unlicensed driver, which crashed into a light pole along the Southern Main Road, Pointe-a-Pierre, near Flowerpot Beach. The driver was fleeing from the police and did not stop at a roadblock in Marabella.

There were five occupants in the car, including the driver.

King died on the spot. Collymore died of his injuries while being treated at the SFGH. A third occupant, Joel Yarde, 16, of Battoo Avenue, Marabella, was hospitalised.

The driver and the other front-seat occupant escaped with scratches and bruises.

Yarde was discharged from hospital on February 17 and is expected to attend the funeral service for his friends.

The police also told Newsday arrangements were made with his mother, a policewoman, to record a statement from him on the evening of February 18.

A statement has been recorded from the adult who had possession of the car. He told the police he did not give the underaged driver permission to use it. He also told them he is not the owner of the car.

As a result, a statement from the owner also has to be recorded before the police can proceed with charges.

The car is still to be inspected by the Licensing Authority.

Investigations are continuing.