Teen tourist hit by van
Marriott Grand Cayman Beach Resort
(CNS) A 16-year-old boy is in a serious condition at the George Town Hospital after he was struck by a van on the West Bay Road Monday night, according to the RCIPS. A 56-year-old man who was driving the Suzuki mini-van has been arrested by police for dangerous driving. An RCIPS spokesperson said the teenager was crossing the road near the Marriott hotel on Seven Mile Beach at about 9pm when he was run down.
The van was heading towards West Bay at the time and the driver was carrying one female passenger. The road in front of the hotel was closed off as police investigated the incident. More information is expected to be released by police later today.
Category: Local News
All taxi,bus operators get a vision test per year to qualify for a licence to operate. What that area and other areas like it needs is a light on a pole. Reducing the speed from 40 to 30 will never work. People will speed regardless.
I do find it interesting that persons still talk about “looking the wrong way”. When I was taught how to cross a road my parents said to look BOTH ways and to CONTINUE to look as I crossed. I do that regardless of which country I am in or which side of the road they drive on.
I hope the young man recovers.
Would love to see this boy air lifted out of here, if/when he is fit enough to do so. If the family has enough money or health insurance to get him out, please do. Do not have him end up like Kate Clayton, our last victim to road accidents here. I have lost too many friends to car crashes here and have very little faith in our medical system. If it was my son I would get him into a better hospital in the states where he can get proper care.
I would strongly suggest to this family to air ambulance him back to the states as soon as possible, sooner then later!!! Whatever they are telling you, they don’t have the proper facilities to take care of serious head injuries, furthermore please read the article on Kate Clayton
That kink northbound from GT is darkly lit, a somewhat blind corner with big hedges, and there are many first-time visitors that step off the curb looking the wrong way. Curb warnings on direction of traffic would be a quick and easy mitigation of some of this risk. If you combine that with distracted drivers that are not anticipating the obvious, then near misses and impacts can and will happen. On the topic of speed: this whole stretch of tourist-area seven mile beach was supposed to have been Gazetted at 25 mph a few years ago and the NRA drags their feet on changing the signage. Still, even 40 mph should not be overly fast if everyone in the equation is on the ball. Most of the traffic moves far slower than 40mph, some taxi/omnibus recklessly pull over without signaling, creating dangerous collision avoidance and overtaking circumstances that compound the likelihood of a serious pedestrian incident. If I were in charge, I would at minimum, brighten the west side of the road to illuminate the likely possibility of guests and paint arrows on the curb and road that show where to look for oncoming traffic. A basic vision test should be part of the licensing process for all drivers, and especially taxi, omnibus, and transport drivers.
Not only am I baffled by the lack of will on the part of the Government to resolve the traffic issues on the West Bay Road, I’m hugely disappointed by both Dept of Tourism and CITA. This stretch of road no doubt has the largest amount of tourist accommodation on island, yet nothing has been done except the three lighted pedestrian crossings installed thus far. If the Gov’t does not have the initiative to ensure improvements are made to enhance our tourism product, why does the other two entities not do something about it? Stop talking and DO something!!!
First off wishing this young man a full recovery, next up crossings, I’m not a big fan of them, they generally don’t work, there are traffic lights with a crossing about a 100 yards up the road from this spot but few people use it, even the one outside the Westin gets little use as people will cross at the closest point to where they want to get to, they don’t see the dangers of this road. You are then left with forcing people to use the crossings by installing barriers, which isn’t very customer friendly and probably unecessary for 90pct of the time or reducing the speed limit. This used to be a single lane dirt track and the only way to West bay, times have changed and it’s now the main tourist route, now’s the time to make the by-pass the main route for traffic and give this over to the tourist, bike lanes, tourist friendly speeds, bit of flora and fauna, and something where the car isn’t king.
The Westin crossing was poorly located the people were crossing at either end of that stretch and are still doing so. They should have put in two locations and not split the difference. This is not a case of build it and they will come. we need to build them where people naturally cross.
I sayed at the Marriott Grand Cayman for the last 4 years and this unfortnately accident have nothing to do with the hotel so better be careful with what yu said…is the road itself, tha rod is very busy and people like to drive fast, we are praying for thi kid nd we know that he will be ok and he wll recover. it could been anyone’s kid so better be careful
White minivan – was this a taxi or bus?
re: post 9:44 a.m.
The last sentence was supposed to read: I hope the young man has a speedy recovery.
I am sorry the last, most important word was left out and posted without notice.
My apologies.
The teenager that was hit is my daughter’s boyfriend. The family is there on spring break from Virginia, USA. I wish they knew ahead of time the risks they were taking staying at the Marriot. I’ve read the other posts and it seems like this area has a big problem with speed. Maybe this horrible accident will open the eyes of the officials in charge down there, He is listed in serious condition and we are all praying for him.
to 1;42 pm
Those officials you speak of down here, are useless! why, they are in the positions they hold beats me!
The real need here is to dot the whole centre lane with speed bumps for the full distance.
This lane is for turning only. Pedestrians see it as a pedestrian refuge and some drivers see it as an overtaking lane. Most pedestrians who are injured or killed along there have been hit in the centre lane. I guess the cops don’t want the inconvenience as I all too often see them speeding along that lane whilst not in pursuit of anyone.
The police were turning cars around at the scene last night when I was trying to going north on 7 mile (after the fire brigade/ambulance were there). That was another accident in the making. Why can’t police put up diversion signs earlier – ie at Kirk Supermarket so cars were not all doing u turns with pedestrians still wandering across the road???
If they were smart enough to figure that out they would not be working as a cop on Cayman.
Can’t we put up some stand alone solar powered light poles on that side of the road? In the night time with the poor lighting 40mph is clearly too fast for this road there is just too many variables going on when it’s busy plus being so dark. Reducing the speed limit won’t cost anything and the cost of putting up the mentioned lights is nothing in comparison to the pain of loosing a loved one. I guesss who feels it knows it and God forbid if something happens to an officials family member trying to cross there. Then we will see action taken quickly. Come on guys, these are easy brownie points for election what are you waiting for?
A few weeks ago I was driving home from work, and I mentioned it to my husband, that in that area was so dark that you can barely see anyone that is crossing the street.
So I do strongly agree that area is very dark and it does need lights..
I saw an accident last night – which was Monday night. Is there an error in information or was there two accidents in the same place?
“Teen” is not a word that should be used in written English. I wish the teenager a speedy recovery.
This obviously is a part of West Bay road that will also need one of those ‘blinking’ pedestrian crossings in that area. I come across many tourists and locals crossing the road from Marriott and other housing to restaurants such as Coconut Joe’s and others. I myself have stopped completely for people crossing the road as they are usually ‘stuck’ in the middle lane waiting to cross. Visibility in that area is also not great for motorists and pedestrians alike in that area at night.
This is poor planning to the development of the Islands to put in these great hotels without no safety measures in place , such as side walks, lights, speed limits, pedestrians crossings , and law enforcement .
…………..planning. HAHAHAHAHA.
I have to agree with you when you said “it is poor planning on the development of our islands”. These guys are in it only for the prestige and the money, they have not a clue what they are doing! a bunch of monkeys would do a better job.
That section of the road is very dangerous to cross. Two hotels, restaurants across the road, 3 lanes of traffic and cars turning in and out of the hotels and restaurants. Cars do not look, to those trying to cross, that they are driving as fast as they are. The road is dark and if the tourist was dressed in dark clothes….accidents are very possible. As a tourist for many years staying at those hotels, I wait until both sides of that road are clear before crossing at that point in the road and sometimes it takes a long time.
Honestly can see how an accident can happen at the junction of the road.
I hope the young man has a speedy
Once again I will state for the record. The speed limit needs to be reduced, the road properly lit, and more crosswalks correctly placed put in place.
Our leaders have known the deaths and accident on that stretch of road has been a potential death trap for years but they do have the Balls or the sense to fix. it. Two years ago I said the next death will be on the shoulders of the elected officials who have chose to do nothing about it. and still nothing has been done. We are a tourist destination and tourists are not disposable. Do something now Government or take the blame for the next death or serious injury.
No one goes the speed limit there anyway. Most people think it is 30 MPH. Rarely have I ever been able to do the posted speed limit on West Bay Road.
This is not due to speed. It is due to poorly lit and visitors thinking that pedestrians have right of way like it is where they come from. Period.
We were walking down the street when this accident occurred. My heart goes out to this young boy and his family!! We continue to keep him in our prayers!!!
We will not stop praying for him!!!