Tourists and local killed in East End crash

| 02/05/2017 | 198 Comments

(CNS) UPDATED Wednesday: Police have now confirmed that four people, including three tourists and a local man, have been killed in a major road collision in East End on Austin Connolly Road near John McLean Drive. The crash happened at around 7:15pm Tuesday night, when a small rental car heading east was hit head on by a Honda Accord heading in the opposite direction. The man driving what may have been a Kia or a Toyota and his two female passengers, who were visiting Cayman, as well as the driver of the Honda were all killed at the scene.

Cayman News Service

Fatal accident 2 May 2017

A 27-year-old local man who was a passenger in the Honda is in critical condition and a 12-year-old child who was also in that car is in a serious medical condition. They were both rescued at the scene of the terrible crash and are being treated at the George Town hospital.

Police have said the Honda was speeding as it passed a police patrol, which registered the car on radar moments before it crossed over to the wrong side of the road and collided with the rental vehicle. The RCIPS said the police car was turning around when the crash happened “before the police could commence action in relation to the speeding Honda”.
There were many eye-witness reports on social media Tuesday night as news of the horrific crash spread across the island. Allegations were made that the police were in pursuit of the car at the time. However, it appears that the police car had not begun a pursuit. Police did not indicate what speed the radar had recorded.
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  1. Jane says:

    We are here in holiday from U.K. At present. We have a hired car. We have driven here for two weeks and I would say I haven’t seen any police on the roads or really generally around. I’ve also seen lots of car without plates. Also encountered many people overtaking us over the speed limit. Sad for all who have died and all their families that have to live with this tradegy for the rest of their lives. Such a beautiful island with beautiful people. RIP to those who have lost their lives.

  2. Anonymous says:

    He was not a local, just another expat doing what they all do, ruinein our country.

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  3. Mycall says:

    By the way. It is perfectly legal to tint your license plate. I asked the RCIP. All the new fade for no one to know who we are. However, the officer did say people are being stopped if the tint is too dark. Hmm. I wonder who determines that. It could just be your sunglasses officer. I asked the officer if he thought my black spray paint would be to dark. Lol.. No response. Whatever happened to the law that says, “A motor vehicle’s license tag may not be obscured in any way”. Oh, we don’t have that. Only in the Cayman Islands as we say.

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  4. First lady says:

    This is so sad my Sympathy goes out to the families in this tragic accident please don’t speed this is what happens when you don’t think of others safety first the road is not going any where people life’s lost for stupidity

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  5. Anonymous says:

    Lack of enforcement of traffic rules is the legacy of the former CoP.

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    • ThIs WrItInG Is VeRy IrRiTaTiNg says:

      and the one before that, and the one before that, and the one before that, and the one before that, and the one before that, and the one before that…

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      • Veritas says:

        Well if you really want to see how bad it can get, boot out all the expats and replace them with 100% Caymanians. At least then we won’t have the locals blaming the RCIP any more.

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  6. Cayguy says:

    I smell a wrongful death lawsuit around the corner. Hopefully, the offending, speeding deceased estate had insurance. This is tourists that were killed this time. Condolences goes out to both families as this is sad anyhow you cut it.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Yes old Japanese wrecks driven illegally by conch poachers tend to have high quality insurance.

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  7. Finespeedingimediately says:

    I am so so sorry for all of them. What a waste of lives. Speeding seems to be a huge problem here. I am amazed at how reckless some people drive not being scared at all of having to pay a ticket. Police has every right to cash in on those people and teach them a lesson. I know capturing mobile cameras are expensive but they can cash in a lot of money, and anyone who is speeding and overtaking or bumping up should be fined or even taken out of traffic for 6 months.

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  8. Latoya says:

    Some of you are asking the police to do this and to do that. Police cannot stop people who willfully and deliberate seek to break the law. That is not to say police should not be on the roads but some people see the police and still speed. It police chase the cars and they crash they get blamed. if they don’t chase them they still get blamed. Stop blaming the police for people’s bad and dangerous decisions and try and assist the police. Many times I see parents with children in their laps or standing between seats as they drive. Police are not everywhere but I make a point of taking down plate numbers and reporting them. Do your part and this can surely assist the officers. Be prepared to give a statement as well. If we do our part, police can then do theirs more effectively. My heart goes out to the families of all those impacted by last night’s accident. Such a tragedy that could have been avoided if that man had only slowed down.

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  9. Sundown says:

    Yes Unison the truth is never popular for those living in lalala land but last night has shown our very unsafe reality because of the lack of enforcement on our roads in this very tragic situation indeed. My sympathy goes out to all those and their families who lost love ones. The irony of this horrific accident is that its their own nationals who are solely responsibility for Law enforcement and governing this place.

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  10. Robert says:

    Just so SAD to read this , Many lives will be destroyed over this accident , may they all rest in peace .

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  11. Anonymous says:

    Proper jail terms for the idiots driving old Accords and Civics like they were F1 cars.

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  12. Anonymous says:

    So what will it take before there is a serious clamp down in regards to what is going on on our roads?

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    • Anonymous says:

      Nothing can be done about it in your lifetime. The third world mentality is still driving the Caymanian culture in everything it does. As the last 6 years have shown it is far better to have them do nothing at all then to do everything they can.

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    • Anonymous says:

      For years the people of East End have asked the police for better traffic enforcement. The police reopened the east end police station this week.

      Now they have better traffic enforcement. The police did nothing wrong and the officer involved should be commended for doing exactly what we asked of him.

      It’s obvious that the driver was running from the police because of the Marine offence and his speeding. Even our police are not able to read the minds of others.

      Let’s all adopt a zero tolerance for all crimes…if we did nothing like this would happen.

      My condolences to families.

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  13. Anonymous says:

    only this weekend i saw a car very very similar to this flying through bodden town. I was with my wife and she pulled out with plenty of room and bang there is was right up behind us. he must have been doing at least 80 or 90 past the police station. careless, reckless and now dead it might seem.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Word of advice; don’t pull out in front of a fast approaching vehicle, ever.

      Just wait till the idiot passes, then go.

      Prevention better than cure….

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    • Anonymous says:

      And when you call 911 to inform the police station ahead of you, they say huh wha ?

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  14. anonymous says:

    Police stop chasing cars and take down they licence plate number. Go to their homes and give them or the owner of the car a ticket.

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    • Anonymous says:

      The police were not chasing.

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    • Anonymous says:

      did you read the article bobo?

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    • Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. says:

      Duuuuh, read the report. It was not a chase scenario. By the way, officers in patrol cars have to get permission to pursue a vehicle from their supervisor by radio before engaging in high speed activity. Stop bashing police without specific facts. Ask any police officer that you know about this. I did.

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      • Anonymous says:

        “Officers in patrol cars have to get permission to pursue…”

        LOL – right.

        Have you ever thought that the officer might be lying to save his own bum luv!?

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    • Anonymous says:

      Are you for real? You can’t live in cayman as half these cars don’t have plates and the other half don’t live where they say. #daydreamer

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    • Anonymous says:

      Have you noticed that a great percentage of cars on the road have no licence plate? It is so rare to even see a police car on the road and rarer still to see one involved in enforcement. But seeing reckless driving, speeding, and stopping/parking in the road is a daily thing here in Grand Cayman. The police need to chase and catch more bad drivers not less to help this problem.

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    • Anonymous says:

      You can not always see the license plates!!! you talk as if this is something very easy to see in these cars now a days…. they’re barely visible sometimes even in the day!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Or maybe, like a law abiding citizen, they should have stopped. What a ridiculous society it would be where people can ‘run from the cops’ and just accept they will show up at their house later with a ticket. Notwithstanding they wouldn’t even know who to give it to, lest someone other than the registered owner be driving the car. Or at least that what they would say.

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    • Jotnar says:

      Yep, give them plenty of time to get rid of drugs and guns they have in their car, or go to ground so they can’t be breathalyzed, or make up a story about an invisible friend driving the car, or…Hey, why not cut out the middleman and just let them get away altogether. Take out a full page ad in the press – in a car, guilty? Just SPEED bobo, popo will leave you alone. You are an idiot.

      PS How exactly do you go to the home of the owner when there is no licence plate, or one covered by a tinted cover so you cannot read it.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Ahh…..the people are just deaf and dumb to the truth about EE.

        The officer is an EastEnder. He knows everyone up there. Very small community of very ignorant people.

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  15. Illegal says:

    It is no way that guy could be running from the police if he was clean. I am confident that he had to have had something illegal in his vehicle or his vehicle is illegally on the road. Those tourist could have been spared.

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    • Anonymous says:

      It is strange to me that you and so many others on this little island confidently “know” so much about other peoples reasons for doing illegal things. But then again I guess that is just normal for here.

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      • Do Good today says:

        Agreed…or explain how they could have been spared? How can out economy and children of tomorrow who are alive today be spared? Please help us will you old dog? Isn’t it love you have?

  16. Anonymous says:

    Speed cameras are needed NOW! and more traffic police on all roads!

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  17. Anonymous says:

    This will hit the British press! 3 British tourists killed by local driver driving recklessly in Cayman. Caymans roads are becoming more and more dangerous. It seems everyday there is just one more good reason why Cayman is going the wrong way. Those who can leave, should. It not going to get better.

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    • Anonymous says:

      There are car accidents everywhere. Nothing specific to Cayman. My hometown in Canada every year has a number of nut jobs that drive recklessly and kill people.

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      • Anonymous says:

        You are correct , there are accidents everywhere. However, have you looked at the stats? Per capita how many cars accidents and how many fatal? And even more worrying g is how many road fatalities are under 18 years of age. Well, for a place the size of Cayman and with the number of people it’s incredibly high. Not many people on island don’t know someone that’s been affected by a road traffic accident minor or serious! So, yes, it’s bad!

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        • Anonymous says:

          As you asked, last year there were 6 deaths in Cayman, or 1 for every 10,000 people, the US stats have Florida at 14.5 deaths per 100,000, or 1.45 per 10,000 people. I couldn’t find anything on under 18’s. RCIPs had the number of accidents in 2016 at 1185, the US stats say around 1 in 50 people crash, or for us about 1200 per year. If I tried the comparison to the UK, or miles driven etc it would be different, but basic numbers of people affected are pretty similar, Condolences to everyone involved in this crash.

      • Veritas says:

        11.05am Yet another apologist. We have a large number of serious accidents here for such a small population. If you have a number of fatal accidents each year in your home town, where is it, Toronto?.

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    • Anonymous says:

      10:24 It’s already hit the UK press. They’ve not only identified all three victims but contacted people who knew them. There will also be a UK inquest so the normal lengthy Cayman Islands process of trying to cover up what really happened won’t work this time.

      I’ve had a lot of experience attending similar incidents in the UK and, based on the available photos, this crash looks survivable to me but that’s only if the necessary medical services were on scene in time. There are a heck of a lot questions about response times and emergency resources that need to be asked here.

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  18. Anonymous says:

    Anger. Pure anger. This guy is speeding at night on the dangerous roads of east end with his partner and child in the car and then kills 3 innocent tourists. Scum.

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    • Thesaurus says:

      Anger is energy…energy never dies thus transform this to something else before you release it. We have suffered at the hands of the Angry long enough and are now Hangry.

  19. Anonymous says:

    So tragic. I cannot comprehend the grief that has come into our world through this unnecessary accident. I am so sorry for those who have been affected.

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  20. Anonymous says:

    To all motorcyclists and moped riders: please stop overtaking the car in front of you if there is oncoming traffic! The centerline of the roadway does NOT belong to you! You are forcing oncoming traffic to swerve out of YOUR WAY, endangering pedestrians, cyclists and motorists! I have to swerve to the left to avoid some negligent motorcyclist/moped rider coming at me from the other direction in heavy slow moving traffic EVERYDAY, like they own the centerline. You can ONLY overtake if the way is clear of oncoming traffic. Just because traffic is moving slowly doesn’t give you the right to drive down the centerline. Read the LAW!
    Though this is not really related to last night’s tragedy, I just thought I’d take the opportunity with so many eyeballs on these comments.

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    • Anonymous says:

      It’s not just people on two wheels when you consider all the drivers who refuse to slow down or give way when there is an obstruction on their side of the road. They simply go round regardless of the on-coming traffic.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Most time this situation is caused by taxis etc stopping in the road and blocking traffic. Something needs to be done about this also.

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      • Annie says:

        They go round on the inside as well. Leaving the poor sod behind them to crash into the obstruction – selfish, thoughtless idiots.

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    • Anonymous says:

      To all Drivers : if you see a pedestrian, cyclist, dog, jogger on the road in front of you, please be patient and wait till it is safe to overtake that object/person. The centerline of the roadway does NOT belong to you! Seeing a cyclist or pedestrain does not mean you should put your boot to the floor and get by it as quick as possibe, going as fast as possible. You can ONLY overtake if the way is clear of oncoming traffic. Only this morning, i was cycling, the car behind me instead of waiting, overtook me on a blind corner, continous white centerline… and straight into the path of the oncoming car. this could have easily been a second head on collision this morning.
      Also in particular on the south sound road, THERE ARE NO FOOTPATHS, which is why the speed limit is set at 30mph. 40/50/60 mph is not acceptable!

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    • Anonymous says:

      9:27 – As a legal motorcycle rider: I agree with your point, however, us riders also deal with motor vehicles overtaking and hurling towards us in OUR lane on a DAILY basis. An accident in our situation results in nearly a 100% DEATH rate. So imagine OUR frustration with these exact same scenarios when someone is risking our lives to get in front of one car to save a whole 10 seconds of travel. Motorcyclist aren’t the only ones to blame in these situations.

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      • Anonymous says:

        If you know the death rate is nearly 100% in a motorbike accident why do you continue to ride? Is it that the love of riding outweighs the risk of dying? Remember as cautious as you may be riding on the road, not every is and I’d personally prefer to take my chances in a car. I’m not insulting you but I’m simply curious.

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      • Anonymous says:

        10:45 – Agreed. Not all motorcyclists are careless and there certainly are a too many dangerous car drivers. My point was that motorcyclists should understand that they have to abide by the same rules of the road that car drivers must abide by, namely; do not overtake the vehicle in front of you unless the oncoming lane is absolutely clear and you are in a passing zone (i.e., the centerline is NOT a solid line). Too often motorcyclists overtake down the centerline between the car in front of them and oncoming traffic. Not only is this dangerous, it is also illegal.

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        • Idiotic says:

          Wheelie time…bike life or no life

          • Anonymous says:

            I would rather walk on my own two feet than get on an effing bike!

            “Bike-Life” – AKA; no life, no responsibilities, no bills, no discipline, no regard for others….at least in Cayman.

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