The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

A MAN became the country’s 20th traffic fatality yesterday when the vehicle he was driving was pinned beneath a large dump truck near the Lynden Pindling International Airport.

While the victim’s identity was not known up to press time, police said he was a Caucasian male. He was last night reported to be a pilot for American Eagle.

He was driving a four-door rented Chevy sedan with a Dollar Car Rental emblem on the rear bumper.

There were no other passengers.

When The Tribune arrived at the scene, which authorities called “horrific”, the victim had still not been removed from the vehicle. Authorities would later use a crane to left the dump truck from the car which was hoisted on a right hand road guard rail.

The incident happened shortly after noon near the Odyssey Airport on Coral Harbour Road. To preserve the integrity of the scene, yellow crime scene tape isolated the area for miles on either side of where the incident happened. Motorists travelling east on the road were instructed to turn around shortly after passing Executive Flight Services.

Authorities believe heavy rainfall may have caused the collision.

Superintendent of Road Traffic Kent Strachan urged motorists at the scene to exercise care and caution on the streets.

Mr Strachan said: “Upon arrival at the scene police found the Chevrolet sedan along the eastern side of the Coral Harbour Road in the south bound lane on a guard rail pinned beneath the front end of the dump truck.

“This situation, no doubt, is a horrific one in nature. This brings to total some 20 incidents of traffic related deaths on the streets of the Bahamas this year. We are in the early days of the road safety week and we cannot over emphasise the need for persons to emphasise due caution and care while they use the streets of the Bahamas.”

The driver of the truck and a passenger were in good condition, Mr Strachan said.