The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

A MOTORIST, pulling out of her driveway, rolled over and killed a 51-year-old woman at Sheila Close off Joe Farrington Road shortly before 8pm on Saturday, police said.

Relatives of the deceased, Juliette Annette Armstrong, are not certain what happened but suspect she was under the influence of alcohol at the time. Armstrong’s sister, Antoinette Butler Smith, said the family understands Armstrong was lying on the ground in front of her yard when the fatal accident occurred.

“We think she was under the influence again and fell asleep or was lying in the front of the neighbour’s side of the apartment complex,” Ms Butler Smith said. “When the neighbour came home she didn’t see her lying there and ran over her. That’s the story we were told.”

According to police, the incident occurred shortly before 8pm on Saturday when a woman was “pulling out of her driveway” and realised she had “rolled over something”.

“She made a check and discovered the body of an adult female lying near the vehicle,” police said.

Armstrong was pronounced dead at the scene.

The family is heartbroken, but know their loved one was troubled.

“She always was walking the streets and getting picked up so it’s believable,” Ms Butler Smith said about the account of what happened. She pleaded for more to be done to combat alcoholism, which she said was the root of her sister’s problems.

“We tried over and over to get her admitted to Sandilands but we were told they cannot force her to come, she have to come of her own free will,” she said.

“But that’s wrong because my sister was a street walking alcoholic and a danger to herself. She was knocked down twice and was admitted to PMH. They said she had to commit a crime to be admitted.

“That’s foolishness and the poor lady that hit her now has to live with that for the rest of her life, that’s not fair. The law needs to change regarding help for the disease. The stigma surrounding alcoholism has to be addressed and we have to call it what it is, a disease. Our society is taking this matter too casually. More people die around the world from accidents and incidents regarding alcohol than any other illegal substance. It’s a legal bomb.”

Mrs Butler-Smith said her sister refused help for her issues.

“I’m devastated that she had to go out like this,” she said. “I was praying for some miracle or intervention. We always knew if her behaviour of walking the streets continued this was inevitable. It’s devastating for us and her only son, he’s inconsolable.”

Armstrong was humble and kind, Mrs Butler-Smith said, but she struggled with depression that worsened when her mother died.

“She was self-employed and lost her working mind from depression over the loss of our mother,” Mrs Butler-Smith said. “Then after that she couldn’t pay her bank note and lost her home. The drinking cost her everything, it destroyed her self-worth.”

Armstrong’s death is the 60th traffic fatality of the year. An investigation is continuing.