Dump truck overturns at Spotts

| 31/01/2018 | 30 Comments
Cayman News Service

Dump truck that overturned near Spotts Dock, 31 January 2018

(CNS): A dump truck overturned on Shamrock Road Wednesday morning following a single-vehicle smash. No one was hurt and the RCIPS said that the collision is under investigation. But police have denied social media reports from various witnesses, including tourists, that suggest it was poor traffic directions by an officer at Spotts Dock, where cruise ships called at today, that cause the dump truck to swerve and then overturn.

An RCIPS spokesperson said the dash cam footage of the incident has been reviewed and the police were able to confirm that the collision occurred when a vehicle that appears to be a taxi or public bus made a U-turn into the path of the oncoming truck.  The truck veered across the road and came to a stop on the embankment, and then over-turned.

“No police car was involved in the accident, contrary to inaccurate reports on social media,” the RCIPS stated. “A police officer was on foot at the site assisting cruise ship arrivals at the time.”

The incident was said to have happened around 11am and just an hour after video footage was taken, and also circulated on social media, showing the officer’s patrol car being washed on the roadside by a mobile valet service.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    The Police officer was the one the waved the taxi/bus through and paid no attention to oncoming traffic on that dual carriage way which is a very busy road. Walked away after the truck crashed. Shocking display from an RCIP officer..

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  2. Pam says:

    I was one of those passengers who saw the accident when I was waiting for the bus. The dump truck driver got cut off by another vehicle and swerved to avoid hitting it. He wasn’t at fault at all. I was glad to see him climb out of the truck.

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  3. West bay Premier says:

    Cayman Islands PROGRESS , I know that back in the years when I went to get my vehicles inspected , if any of the tires were bald I was told to get new tires and come back . I wonder if that safety rule is still in place today ? Obviously not because this big dangerous dump truck wouldn’t be licensed to be on the road . Big dump trucks shouldn’t be on the roads speeding with bald tires, because that makes them very dangerous to be on the road . Do the Police know that bald tires on a vehicle doesn’t give the vehicle no breaking traction and becomes a very dangerous vehicle especially a big dump truck loaded with marl . That is why the driver couldn’t stop and decided to swerve to avoid hitting the other vehicle .

    But someone should make sure that the Police prosecute this dump truck driver for driving a vehicle with bald tires , and something done with speeding dump trucks with bald tires .

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  4. "Anonymousir" says:

    i wonder who was paying for the wash? Probably the Citizens of Cayman …

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    • Eat your heart out says:

      The person behind Cayman Marl Road is XXXXXXX at war with everybody and has NO SHAME whatsoever! The Police cars have to be washed as well and the GOVERNMENT/CITIZENS are paying for it! SO WAHT???? When you guys are in your heated DOMESTIC AFFAIRS, the first number you dial is 911 so what if the citizens of Cayman Islands are paying for the wash? KMT!!

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      • Anonymous says:

        We already pay Public Works to wash/maintain the vehicles!

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        • "Anonymousir" says:

          thats why GOV has Public Works And DVES department. to maintain and clean government vehicles. IT is NOT to have a MOBILE CAR WASH company, washing them during their daily operations. AND with the lights on? Seriously. Sirens on while it gets washed? I will go ahead and eat my heart out on this one guy.

  5. Anonymous says:

    LOL Several of those tires are visibly bald in this photo…

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  6. Anonymous says:

    This area is a well known race track and there is very little police presence (well, I guess except for getting their car washed) out there, despite so many drivers (especially dump truck drivers) racing down this stretch like maniacs. When a truck carries a full load, it will take a long time for it to come to a stop and since the majority of dump truck drivers don’t understand to keep a certain distance between them and the next vehicles, chances are they lose control over the vehicle once confronted with having to make a sudden stop.

    I have asked a million times……….why do we not have automated speed traps on this Island???

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  7. Cheese Face says:

    This is all so wrong. Dump trucks that are not road worthy speeding. Taxi drivers who can’t drive. Police getting their cars washed on the side of the road whilst on duty.

    What a mess!

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  8. Anonymous says:

    That’s a very good point about the tyres. Clearly several of them have no tread and the truck shouldn’t be on the road. RCIPS need to take action here and show by example.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Would suggest they look at all the large trucks hauling dirt and fill to the road and other Dart projects. Many of these do not have working lights. Probably should check that the drivers are licenced to drive such vehicles as they have a habit of driving in the cycle lane rather than the actual road.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Just tires? How about speeding? Speeding a dump truck! What could be more dumb than that?

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  9. Anonymous says:

    Why are we paying for mobile car washes for police cars? Is this not the job of the Public Works Department or some other government entity that we already pay for?

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  10. Anonymous says:

    Why was he getting his car washed in front on Spotts Dock while on duty and using the police lights at the same time?

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  11. nauticalone says:

    That area is a disaster waiting to happen! Especially when used by cruise ships as the signage to warn of two lanes merging to one is often only a very short distance from where the second lane abruptly ends. And buses and taxis are doing their usual bad driving with little to no Police direction. Add the clueless tourists walking about and I don’t know how we haven’t already had more accidents there.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Just this week , while driving west right on the old Mariners Cove location, a FULL dump truck passed me possibly as fast as 60+ mph . Front & rear wheels wobbling…Insanity that this is allowed to continue here for the sake & safety of other law abiding road users

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  12. Gordon Shumway says:

    Just going out on a limb here, but I wonder if, perhaps, possibly…potentially, maybe… the dump truck was speeding?

    Nah. Never.

    Nobody in Cayman would dare to even think about driving a giant, behemoth vehicle that’s loaded with marl, dirt, stones etc…. at anything but a modest, safe speed.

    What was I thinking?

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    • nauticalone says:

      I’m wondering also if it was full of WET marl, as now seems increasingly common. This wet marl is corrosive as it’s brackish at best and salt at worst! Why do Police, NRA and other powers allow this – where this corrosive water drains on the roadways and sprays all over other peoples vehicles…how is this allowed? Plus WET marl is heavier and so more dangerous to transport. Yet our local powers seem blind!?!?

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    • Anonymous says:

      Heard on the news earlier today that the truck swerved to miss a taxi that was doing a u-turn in the road to pickup cruise ship passengers. Missing a taxi with a big truck is really bad driving.

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    • Anonymous says:

      He wasn’t speeding. He came to a complete stop and the officer thanked him for stopping. Maybe the officer should have stopped the bus instead.

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  13. satirony says:

    This should be the perfect opportunity for the Police to inspect the tyres, some of which appear to be worn down to the canvas, a common enough sight on Cayman’s trucks.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Why blame the truck driver…it was idiot taxi or bus driver made U turn which it is illegal to make.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Because the tyres appear to be illegal? Say someone crashes in to you but you are found to be drunk, without insurance, no license etcetc. Should we ignore those matters because the accident wasn’t technically driving without due care and attention, but deal with the illegal truck as well.

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    • Anonymous says:

      What about one tire missing in rear?

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