PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Aug 19, CMC – Transport and Aviation Minister, Eli Zakour, Tuesday confirmed that two people, including the driver of the state-owned Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) bus died after the collided with a truck on the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway in west central Trinidad.
“Sadly two people died. Our deepest condolences go out to the families at this difficult time,” he said, adding that preliminary reports indicate that the truck pulled out from the shoulder of the highway “and the PTSC bus inn tryijg to avoid hitting it, would have collided.
“Preliminary reports also indicated that 23 passengers were evacuated by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and taken to the hospital, including the driver of the truck,” he added.
Their conditions remain unknown and the police said that the driver of the PTSC Deluxe passenger bus and a female security officer employed with SWAT died at the scene. Their names were not disclosed.
The police said that the accident occurred on the south bound lane of the highway in Freeport and videos circulating on social media show passengers sitting on the shoulder being attended to by paramedics.
Initial reports are that the bus rear ended the flat bed truck, penetrating the front of the bus, in the area where the driver and front row passengers were seated.
Police Road Safety Officer, Brent Batson, described the accident as “disturbing” and is urging motorists to be extra vigilant on the roads.
“It’s disturbing because to have these types of incidents occurring on a Tuesday morning, that’s a bit of an anomaly from our data standpoint. But it also goes to show just how quickly, you know, accidents can occur on a roadway and why it’s so important for us to always be attentive as motorists to what’s happening around us,” he added.
He said 73 people have been killed in road accidents so far this year.
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