Booze and rain fuel more road crashes

| 30/10/2017 | 34 Comments

(CNS): Police dealt with 30 crashes on Cayman’s roads this weekend caused by a combination of wet conditions and drunk drivers. At least four people were arrested for drinking and driving and police are also on the lookout for a driver who fled the scene after mowing down a cyclist. “We saw a spike in traffic collisions this weekend, which we believe to have been in part due to the wet weather. A large number of these collisions also involved people driving under the influence,” said Inspector Ian Yearwood of the Traffic Department.

“We are urging the public to exercise caution when driving on wet roads and in rainy weather, and to remember that poor road conditions and alcohol are a very dangerous combination,” he added.

The police are asking for witnesses to call the Traffic Management Unit at 649-6254 if they can help police track down a hit and run driver. The collision happened early Saturday morning, 28 October, when a cyclist was hit on the Esterley Tibbets Highway south of Camana Bay. The car fled the scene before police arrived. The victim was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries to his face and leg before being released.

On Friday evening a 36 year old driver from West Bay was arrested on suspicion of DUI after he struck a pedestrian on Batabano Road. The victim, who sustained minor injuries, was taken to hospital for treatment.

Later that night, officers on patrol netted another drunk driver after he was spotted driving erratically on South Church Street in a vehicle with significant damage to the front fender. The 25-year-old man from George Town was stopped and arrested on suspicion of DUI, police said.

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Category: Crime, Police

Comments (34)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Bet some of these collisions not accidents are down to idiots driving with damaged out of allinment headlights full beam and those horrible halogen bulbs

  2. Anonymous says:

    Note: to be on the lookout, requires patrol of an area of responsibility.

  3. Anonymous says:

    bring in private traffic enforcement. pays for itself through fines. frees up cops for real work.win-win. problem solved.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Cayman needs a proper public transportation system, with reasonable and fair prices. Not the house and mortgage prices that the taxis are charging people.

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    • Anonymous says:

      It’s only $2 on the bus from town to EE. Another $1 if you ask them to go off route to save a mile walk when you have heavy bags. They’re really not as bad as many (who don’t use them, probably never did) like to claim. It’s just a shame they don’t keep a regular schedule and work into the early hours at weekends. That in itself would probably alleviate a lot of drunk driving and road accidents. I wish I could go into town on a weekend knowing I could get a bus home. Sadly after 7 pm it can be a bit of a lottery, and after 9, forget it.

    • Diogenes says:

      Why do you think the traffic is so bad, building new roads is only a temporary solution Cayman, think ahead. In 5 or 10 years traffic could be a thing of the past if we invest in public transport, and get rid of the autonomous and virtually unregulated public “buses”.

      Speaking of Buses that man who killed the Doctor at the airport is still out and about as far as we know, I guess ending an innocent life isn’t important to the DPP

      Diogenes

    • Anonymous says:

      I’m so sorry but how much should a taxi driver or bus operator be allowed to make per day and night? A 14 seater from Toyota is over 43,000 CI dollars, fuel per 8 hour day is CI$ 25 per day, minibus insurance includes 14 passenger liability (3500-6000).If it’s a Toyota coaster they are over CI$ 100,000 ,CI$ 7000 for insurance for 29 passengers fuel will run $40-50 for fuel , tyres, oil changes depend on mileage, what about breakdowns and loss income while you’re waiting for bus to repair which usually runs 800-1000 ? So how much should they get sitting in the sun or waiting in the night till 1am-4am to pickup your drunken butt? They recently put a bus service through south sound , how many passengers have you seen on the bus? Stop alluding to transportation know how . You need to ask or come and ride on one for the week and see for yourself. Its very frustrating to provide a service when people pullout a CI$100 bill to pay public bus driver CI$ 2.00 and many don’t have it to pay at all but want a free ride to find a job.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Take the $$ out of the taxi/bus drivers’ hands! NOW!

        Privatize this service, pay them a minimum wage and organize this now before it gets worse. You shouldn’t be paying the driver directly, you should have to purchase a bus pass before you can use the services; all taxis should have meters in USD and KYD.

    • Anonymous says:

      Driving drunk is not a consumer right or valid transport alternative. People that rationalize their dangerous belligerence in this way are neither mature enough for alcohol consumption, nor for the privilege of a driver’s license.

    • Anonymous says:

      Ironic that these irresponsible public transport mopers have plenty of disposable cash for shooter rounds, goblets of wine, Sunday brunches and multiple pints, yet not a nickel for their own safe transport home knowing they had planned to consume to inebriation…and they feel they have a right to involve all the other innocent people in their wake because they don’t like paying for taxis (which, by the way, are not outlandishly priced). Grow up please!

  5. Anonymous says:

    Where one can see RCIPS annual report?
    Here is a link to one from a similar to the Cayman Islands size US city (+15K).
    http://www.cityftmyers.com/DocumentCenter/Home/View/4701
    It would be interesting to see RCIPS equivalent of such a report. I could only find Crime Statistics for Cumulative Period 2016 vs 2015 report. http://www.rcips.ky/stats/crime-and-traffic-statistics-for-cumulative-period-2016.pdf
    Does RCIPS hold any Law Enforcement Accreditations?

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  6. Anonymous says:

    Two days worth of commutes this week: Yesterday, an idiot in a battered IS200, black with the rear window put through and replaced with a white plastic sheet/blue tape, overtaking near South Shore/Ocean Club, fishtailing on the wrong side of the road at about 60mph, narrowly avoided hitting 3 other cars. Today, overtaken by Cayman Crossing on South Sound in the 20mph zone, of course, this car was then caught up to in traffic. Why, just why???

    I’d like to assume these people were not drunk (and it was dry), so it is a heady mix indeed adding factors like rain, drink driving, night time/dusk to a set of drivers who have the forethought of primitive forms of life.

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  7. Anonymous says:

    Allowing people to transfer their license, without them having to do a driving test has to stop! The only countries that we should allow this to happen with is the UK, Canada, USA, and Ireland. All other countries, should have to do both parts of the driving exam. Allowing people, who have never owned a car to come here and buy one for $500, and then drive….is a recipe for disaster.

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  8. Anonymous says:

    what the hell are the cops doing everyday????
    every car journey i make i see dozens of drivers who could be pulled over for careless/dangerous driving….
    speeding, tailgating, no signals….happens everywhere.
    sick and tired of the west indian attitude to driving. lazy,ignorant and rude.

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  9. Anonymous says:

    These Police posts are getting old . Same message every week.

    Instead of telling us what we already know, how about telling us what steps the Police are taking to deal with the ridiculously bad driving we experience every day.

    It would also be nice if Police led by example by indicating on roundabouts.

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  10. Anonymous says:

    I say it again, although nobody wants to listen: prosecute the bars who serve people who are drunk, or withdraw their licenses, and/or hold them liable in civil law so that those who suffer can sue them. That’d stem the tide of drunk drivers overnight: they’d simply be refused service.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Or lets be honest (that most people aren’t taking a cab or car pooling) and just reduce the hours the bars are allowed to open.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Better to just have a mandatory 1 year jail term for DUI. Expect thumbs down from those that put their wish to drink and then drive home above the health and lives of good law-abiding folks.

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    • Anonymous says:

      The caymanian way—blame someone else for my bad

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      • Anonymous says:

        That “someone else” is profiting nicely from your bad. He’s effectively giving you the ammunition for your gun.

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