Princes Town crash victims honoured through sneakers

An artist/ business owner has found a unique way of honouring two of his friends who were killed in Thursday’s fiery crash at Gasparillo.

Keron Nelson, owner of Awujo Studio at North Trace in New Grant, hand-painted a pair of sneakers to pay tribute to Moruga cousins Keston Nicholas, 22, and Michael Bradshaw, 21.

Two other friends, national footballer Shahdon Winchester, 27, and Djenne Hills-Dyer, 28, both of Buen Intento in Princes Town, were also killed in the crash.

Nelson told Newsday he and Nicholas became friends while attending Tableland Secondary School.

Nelson later met Bradshaw through Nicholas and they became good friends.

"Even though we did not spend that much time together in recent times, I am glad that we spoke whenever we ran into each other, and that we shared more good memories than bad. They both supported me when I started my business," he said.

On one shoe he wrote, "Our wasted days are the days we never laugh."

Nelson has been in business for about three years. He redesigns sneakers and handpaints fabrics like denim and leather.

He said: "I started working on the shoes on Saturday and finished them on Sunday. I am thinking about passing the shoes around among friends who would keep it for a time.

"Keston was one of the first people who let me work on his shoe."

Nelson added that in September he painted a pair of sneakers for Bradshaw.

"I had to do one last pair for them. The main colour on Michael’s side is on Keston’s side and the main colour on Keston’s side is on Michael's side. They were like brothers."

Bradshaw’s funeral takes place on Monday afternoon.

On Sunday, Nicholas’s mother, Paula Burton, in a post on her Facebook page, wrote: "I miss your walk your talk, your smile. Son, it was an honour serving you. It was the best years of my life. If I could do it for another 22 years I will.

She added, "Even though you are gone, I know I still have Jesus. He will fill that emptiness and give me the strength I need to go on."

Nicholas’ funeral will take place on Tuesday at the Third Company Baptist Church in Moruga.

The funeral for Hills-Dyer is expected to take place over the weekend. Winchester’s funeral is yet to be confirmed.

The four were returning from liming at Couva on Thursday when the accident happened at about 5.30 am. Winchester was driving his white Nissan SUV when it skidded off the highway and crashed into an electricity pole.