An accident on the northbound lane of the Solomon Hochoy highway has claimed the lives of three people, one of them a T&T Coast Guard officer. Dead are coast guard officer, Phillip Baptiste, 33, of Cashew Gardens, Longdenville, his girlfriend Frieda Bonyun, 32, of St Augustine, and farmer Jagdeo Heeralal, 55, of Milton Road, Couva.
According to reports, Baptiste was driving south along the highway around 6.30 am when his white Skoda sedan crossed the median, about 300 metres after the Chaguanas overpass, and ploughed head-on into the tonne-and-a-half truck driven by Heeralal who was heading in the opposite direction.
Both Baptiste and Heeralal died on the spot while Bonyun died while receiving treatment at the Chaguanas Health Facility. The T&T Guardian also visited Baptiste’s home in Cashew Gardens, only to find it standing empty. Neighbours said Baptiste lived alone at the premises while the rest of his family lives in Arouca.
One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said Baptiste was a leading electrician in the Coast Guard and had only returned to T&T on Wednesday from a trip overseas. “He was a part of the crew that brought down a Coast Guard vessel from Holland. He was away for three weeks and I went across to catch up with him.”
The neighbour said he last spoke to Baptiste, an avid motorcyclist, on Saturday night, but Baptiste did not reveal any plans to go out later that night. “He didn’t talk about going anywhere, so I don’t know where he could have gone. We were just talking about his trip and work in general.” Baptiste had two children, a 10-year-old son and a seven-year-old daughter. The neighbour said Baptiste and Bonyun were planning on getting married sometime this year.
“I know he wanted to get married, they were going to do it sometime later this year.” He said Baptiste was always a safe driver and even took his time on his bike. “He had a motorbike, he never even used to ride that fast, he always took his time on the road.” The neighbour said he tried calling Baptiste’s cell phone after hearing a rumour that he died and was told by police that Baptiste may have fallen asleep at the wheel.
“The police answered and said he had passed away in an accident, from what they said it looks like he fell asleep behind the wheel.” At Bonyun’s family home at Woodstar Avenue, Maloney, relatives were overcome with grief. “She gone. I can’t accept this. My husband told me this morning after 11 while I was at work,” her eldest sister Nellan Bonyun-Burgess said.
She said her sister recently began working at a shipping company in Chaguaramas as an accountant and had plans to marry her fiance next year. Bonyun-Burgess said her sister was the second to last of nine children and was integral in settling plans to celebrate their father’s 70th birthday next Tuesday.
“She was a true young lady. Very hard-working. She will be missed dearly by her 11 nieces and nephews who she encouraged to aim high and don’t accept less,” she said. She said that both families have discussed a joint funeral. At Heeralal’s Couva home, his nephew Renny Rajkumar pleaded with drivers to stop drinking and driving.
Rajkumar said his uncle Heeralal left home sometime after 6 am to go to his St Augustine garden. “He accustomed going up every weekend and sometimes in the week,” said Rajkumar. “He left home like normal and this accident happened about 10 minutes after.” Rajkumar said his uncle worked at Bartholomew Transport and maintained his garden in his spare time. He describe the father of two as hard-working. Heeralal was the grandfather of one.
“What we get to understand that the driver of the other vehicle attended a party with a girl and they were on their back when the accident happened. I believe that when people attend so much parties and drinking and driving, they are endangering the lives of other people. I believe things should be put in place to deal with those things.” He called for the installation of cable barriers in the area where the accident occurred and a greater police presence on the highways.
Before the media left the family’s home, Heeralal’s wife, Chanardaye, returned from the scene of the accident. As she came out of the car she was travelling in she ran into the house, clutching at relatives and crying out her husband’s name.