TRAGEDY:The aftermath of the crash which killed Charlise Bain.

Published On:Saturday, November 07, 2009

A TEENAGE girl was crushed to death and eight other students from the Centre for the Deaf were badly injured when the bus taking them home was involved in a horror crash yesterday afternoon.

Tragic Charlise Bain, 15, was killed when she and a number of other youngsters were thrown from the Mitsubishi van in which they were travelling.

It is understood that it was the first time that Charlise had used the van to take her home.

The accident happened yesterday afternoon in Nassau Village when the Centre for the Deaf's grey Mitsubishi collided with a white 1995 Dodge van. The Mitsubishi is said to have rolled over several times, causing severe injuries to Charlise.

Eyewitnesses told The Tribune of the shock and horror at what they saw.

Dimitri McFall,18, whose home on Spruce Street is only a few feet from the accident scene, was the first to scramble to aid the deaf students.

He said he managed to pull the driver of the Mitsubishi and a couple of students from the vehicle while other youngsters wandered in shock.

Mr McFall said: "I've never seen anything like it in my life. It was horrible. They were running around in shock. The bus they were in was lying on its side and when I turned on the other side of the bus I saw a teenage girl crushed.

"It was really graphic and heartbreaking to see how badly her body had been damaged in the accident."

Mr McFall's neighbour, Lesha Whylly, had been working on her computer when she saw the children "flying all over the place like a horror movie."

She said at one time there were at least four ambulances loading children - some with neck braces - into the vehicles.

"I ran outside to help them and they were pretty bruised but conscious," she recalled.

"We've had so many accidents on this street in the past. We've been asking for stop signs, and now this ... a whole bus of kids sent to the hospital and one laying out dead.

"The youngest of them looked about six or so. We had to try to calm them down and that's a bit hard to do because we don't speak sign language and they are crying in fear. But we were out there and Dimitri's mother and other people called the ambulance and police right away."

A crowd had soon gathered on the street. Among them were teachers and students from the Centre for the Deaf who were crying uncontrollably over their students. Some of them even climbed into ambulances with them promising in sign language not to leave them.

"We've never had a tragedy like this at our school," said one of the school's security officers. "These children are our children and it's just sad."

Charlise's aunt, a police inspector rushed past the crowds to speak to officers on the scene.

Meanwhile, her mother was comforted by officers after she fell to the ground in tears screaming: "I just want to see her! God have mercy today was her first day on the bus. Oh my baby!"

Her father had to be restrained by several officers after he tried to get to his daughter who was lying under a blue bed sheet in the road between the two vehicles.

So overcome by grief, he collapsed in the road as bystanders rushed to find him some water, and an officer phoned an ambulance to take him away.

Officer-in-charge, Insp. Stephen Dean, of the Southeastern Division, confirmed that the children's vehicle overturned several times and that a number of them were ejected. However, he could not confirm if they were wearing seatbelts as investigations were still under way.

"On behalf of the Commissioner of Police and the members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, we want to extend our condolences to the family of the deceased," said Insp. Dean.

"Additionally, we want to say a word of caution to persons travelling in these residential areas. Some areas might not have road signs. We are asking you to be on the alert, to drive within the speed limits, to look before you leap through the corners and this can prevent other incidents from happening."