The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

A WOMAN was killed yesterday morning when her burgundy 2013 Hyundai Elantra collided into road barriers on Munnings Road.

Paramedics pronounced her, Garvanisha Anastasia Carey, dead on scene after attempting to revive her.

The death prompted fresh criticism from Bahamians about the government's decision to close the road. Some complained the road is dimly lit in the dark, making the erected barriers difficult to see.

Opposition leader Philip "Brave" Davis addressed the matter in the House of Assembly yesterday, expressing condolences to the family of the deceased and calling the matter one "of extreme and constant public interest."

"The road could not be closed because someone says close it," he said.

"There is a protocol for a road to be closed. I asked whether those protocols were engaged to close the road. Big barriers have been erected. What has heightened the matter is that two accidents have been brought to my attention before this incident that has now resulted in a fatality. I would've thought that after the first incident at least police would have taken some notice."

Last night, Works Minister Desmond Bannister addressed the matter in the House of Assembly, saying the government fully complied with laws before creating the cul-de-sac.

"This morning there was a very, very unfortunate incident where somebody lost their life," he said. "Traffic on Munnings Road has now been rationalised and in the process traffic on Gladstone Road has been less congested. Now residents on the western side of Munnings Road travel west, the airport gateway, instead of merging on to traffic on Gladstone Road, thereby causing further congestion."

The Carmichael MP commended residents of the area for approaching the government with their concerns about the road being used as a throughway.

He said police records show 283 fixed penalty notices were issued to people accessing the road in 2017.

Because of the government's new action, "out of hand" speeding "has now been curtailed permanently," he said, adding: "People were turning over cars, they were driving cars up on people's lawns, families felt endangered, the crime level went up, the bumping went up, it was a nightmare for those communities."

Engineers at his ministry, he said, met twice with members of the Munnings Road community, all of whom voted to return the road to "its original intent" as a cul-de-sac.

He noted that speed bumps, once on the road, had been removed.

He said section five of the Roads Act gives the minister of public works certain powers with respect to public roads and that a notice was issued concerning the matter on April 16. The posted speed limit for the area is 25mph, he emphasised.

"I've seen some very unfortunate accidents along that road and the condition of the vehicles from what the police have told me indicate that those vehicles would have been traveling anywhere in the region of 70 to 80 and 90 mph," he said. "It is very unfortunate that people have been hurt and someone has lost their life but we have complied fully with the law and we have sought to assist and guide the residents of those communities."