One man killed in early morning single vehicle smash
(CNS): The driver of a Subaru sedan was killed early on Boxing day morning following a crash on Shamrock Road near to the junction of Midway Close in the Lower Valley area of Bodden Town. The collision happened around 2:20 this morning on 26 December when police and other emergency services responded to the report of a serious single-vehicle collision. The Subaru had been travelling eastbound when it left the road and smashed into a tree.
Three people inside the car were taken to the Cayman Islands Hospital by ambulance and another was taken in a private vehicle. One man was pronounced dead while the other three people remain in hospital being treated for what appear to be serious injuries.
Three people including a child were also injured in another serious crash, (image above) less than twelve hours earlier in a three-vehicle pile-up also on Shamrock Road, in the notoriously, dangerous stretch of road close to Beach Bay Road at about 5:50 on Christmas Day evening. However all three have since been discharged from hospital.
Commissioner of Police Kurt Walton expressed his continued concern about the situation on local roads and the amount of serious crashes happening on a daily basis.
“This morning we have woken up to the news of yet another life lost on our roads,” he said. “Instead of enjoying the rest of the festive season, a family is now dealing with the grief of this tragic loss. And this fatal collision follows another serious collision only hours before. In fact, over the past 48 hours our officers have observed and ticketed a number of drivers travelling at excessive speeds. We again implore all drivers: slow down, drive safely, and avoid turning the holiday season into a season of grief. Increased vehicle checkpoints and traffic enforcement continue through the new year, and if you are speeding, driving under the influence, or otherwise driving unsafely, you will be caught and prosecuted, or you may face an even worse outcome”
The RCIPS reminded motorists of the National Drug Council’s Arrive Alive 345 Campaign, which includes the Designated Driver Programme, and the Purple Ribbon Bus service, a free bus service on New Year’s Eve for all districts.
During the first week of Operation Winter Guardian the RCIPS’ annual crime prevention and road safety campaign there were at least 88 smashes reported to police.
Tis latest road death brings the death toll on local roads for 2024 to 13 people, three of which have happened in December.
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Category: Local News
Here are some potential solutions
1. Mandatory Drivers Education in all high schools before you can graduate. This should include learning the physics of driving eg. How speed affects your ability to make turns, navigate roundabouts, how wet conditions increases your potential to lose traction etc because it seems like some of the young drivers are oblivious to these concerns.
2. No more transfer of a Jamaican licence to a Cayman licence if you pass the written exam within 6 months of arrival. Mandatory driving and written exam for all jamaican licence holders regardless of time on island.
3. No work permit holder is allowed to own a vehicle until they have been on the island for 1 year. This will give them time to become familiar with our roads and driving culture.
4. Tie the new driving points system to work permit renewals. If you are high risk you cannot continue on your work permit. Easiest way to renew a permit either drive safe or not at all.
5. Lower the threshold for driving suspensions altogether, if you are a bad driver, you cannot drive, simple. If you have a DUI and have ANY incident afterwards where you are at fault, automatic further 3 to 5 year suspension of your licence.
6. Automartic 10 years in prison for driving uninsured.
7. 1 Car max per household if you are non-Caymanian, 2 cars max per household if you are Caymanian.
8. Establish a proper driving school where high risk licenced drivers can be sentenced to go to learn how to drive properly (at their own cost).
There are just a few ideas I have come up with while Government continues to waffle over a proper Public Transport System.
And what do you do the Caymanian drivers who are as atrocious as the Jamaican drivers? The standard of learner driving in Cayman is appalling so anybody who learns to drive in Cayman is being taught the wrong thing – I saw an instructor take his learner pupil all the way around Butterfield roundabout, in the outside lane, with the left indicator on!
The situation now existing on our roads makes it like playing Russian Roulette the minute you drive away from our homes. The cause is well known and can easily be eradicated.Get the Jamaicans with their lawless driving habits off our roads! As a matter of fact reduce their numbers on these islands period! Since the upsurge in their numbers here the whole society has deteriorated. The aggressive pushing and hollering their patois everywhere we turn, and the deplorable criminal behavior on Seven Mile Beach where weed and other drugs are being openly used and peddled are examples of fact. The police force needs to be stripped of the hundreds of them in our employ there. It appears that they choose not to catch and charge their people, while the destruction of these beautiful islands is growing everyday! Of course Jamaicans are not the only culprits here but they are the largest number and the main problem! The law abiding Jamaicans who have been here for generations share our concerns about the large number of low class hooligans allowed to enter our shores in recent times. This government has enabled and allowed a shocking decline in our society. Round them up and send their backsides home! There, I said it!!
@28/12/2024 at 2:46 am – You’re telling the truth. It needs to be said. The worst is, the white expats think they’re all “locals”.
Our driving test and license are a joke. Until that changes nothing else ever will. These people can’t drive safely at any speed.
Partly true, but plenty of licensed and insured maniacs on the roads daily.
While plenty have fluorescent clothing on, many do not.
The maniacs from all cultures on these roads don’t give a damn about anyone but themselves.
I would like to know why people drive fast when they are drunk? I would think they would drive slow and careful but alcohol makes them drive faster. Not that they should drink and drive anyway.
inhibitions are lowered, and therefore risk taking behavior isn’t suppressed.
Cayman must have the highest number of car v tree wrecks on earth. Staying on the road isn’t that hard, people.
Despite the RCIPs so called Traffic media follies of list of those persecuted it’s doing little or nothing to reduce accidents nor fatalities. Maybe it has something to do with the demographics of those being singled out for arrest and prosecution. In fact it is the source of the real problem and the consequences of this corruption that has now come home to roost in Cayman . The Jamaicans are systematically destroying Cayman a fact we now clearly see and understand under the watchful eye of the UK !
The consumption of Drugs and alcohol by drivers is out of control as is the lack of arrest and prosecution of a certain nationalities who are responsible for some of the worse driving offenses on our roads .We are always being bombard with these numbers of arrest and traffic statistics. Yet I challenge them to produce the demographics of who are being prosecuted. Its no surprise despite the high numbers of prosecution yet it seem to do little to reduce road accidents or fatalities on our roads. The real surprise is what our UK ruling power and our idiotic government have use to the justify hiring those from elsewhere to police us natives favouritism Nepotism and Corruption is now being use by them to victimize us in Cayman with impunity.
Concern about what Commissioner? ? Look at the Traffic court list and explain why a certain nationality are not on it despite being some of the worse menaces on the road today in Cayman coincidentally they are same nationality in charge of nearly every law enforcement and judicial post in the Cayman today ! Spare us please with your concerns and stop allowing work permit holders to import so many cars and stop issuing then drivers licenses to drive on our roads. We certainly could not go their countries and do what they are doing here ,our political criminals who are doing nothing about this dire situation we now face are to blame for this bullshit going on here now too.
For everybody’s safety it is time to seriously consider not giving driving licenses to Jamaican nationals.
but who would then drive the unroadworthy landscape gardening vans with their illegal trailers?
I’m not racist and love all humans but yes to some sort of further scrutiny at least at the license level because their buddies that dominate the RCIPS traffic unit don’t target them.
All my life I’ve been in two accidents total. Both were not my fault. Both were UNINSURED Jamaicans that I am yet to be repaid by.
When I went to Kingston for my visa the drivers there made me fear for my life. It’s definitely, plainly, a Jamaican issue (albeit they aren’t the only offenders, still the main).
Rest in peace and my condolences to the two families of the recently deceased Jamaican drivers.
Especially the ones driving our public buses.
Bullshit. All nationalities are driving with no regard to others.
Then who will drive the public busses?
Times they are a changing, I saw a Filipino mobile car wash guy the other day. Stay tuned.
Within my 42 years of driving, I have never caused an accident. However I have been Tboned on Shamrock road by a non Jamaican speeding out of Selkirk. Its not about the nationality
Nothing will happen as neither the CIG/RCIPS have the required intelligence to make meaningful change or enforce the existing laws.
“required intelligence” = JDF FKA RCIPS actually showing up and doing their job more than 4 weeks a year. They have to be the biggest set of foreign wage thieves on the entire island.
Not here for that only for acquisition of wealth and status ! They have learnt this from watching their colonial master !
Increased police presence and check points are a start.
Wonder if speed bumps put on certain roads, lets says every quarter mile would be of any help in saving lives …. or would those inclined to drive drunk/speed just zoom over them like they were driving in Grand Theft Auto video game.
Lilys Lane only Brac has speed bumps after numerous complaints of speeding – the complaints stopped after the speed bumps were installed – any comment from Kurt Walton?
I’ve noticed that CB has put in speed bumps. In particular the crossroads by Carnivore has speed bumps just before the crossing. This is what we need just before roundabouts to stop cars entering at 80mph or more!!
Circle of life Bobo. Slow down people.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends left to deal with this loss of life.
Also, my hopes and prayers are that any lunatic drivers only take their own lives and not the lives of innocent folks.
Something has happened in the Cayman Islands that has resulted in many people no longer being able to think clearly or function rationally. I don’t know what happened or exactly when it happened, but it is obvious that something or some event has negatively impacted on the mental health of many people within our islands.
it’s the influx of so many people!
That “something” is the importation of tens of thousands of Jamaicans and Filipinos with absolutely nothing to live for other then sending money back to the family they’d rather be on the other side of the world away from.
Lawlessness and debauchery has became normalized.
So sad… again… and so unnecessary.
On an island where most speed limits or 25 mph to 40 mph.
And another bad one on ETH this afternoon.
Imagine the impacts on family, friends, co-workers of all those who have lost lives or been seriously injured.
We (everyone working together regardless of nationality) as a country need to work to improve this ASAP.
Another speeder. Got there on time. What is wrong with some people.
The wreckage indicates a high rate of speed upon impact. Speeding is endemic here and this tragedy should create a moment of reflection for us all, but sadly, those who need most to reflect on their driving habits simply do not care and will continue to be threats to safety for themselves and worst of all, innocent people.
I had someone overtake me yesterday as I headed east, passing by Everglo. A red Toyota Corolla, complete with grey smoke blowing out of it’s overworked engine. They overtook about 5 vehicles in one go, and had I not slowed down, they’d have collided with an oncoming vehicle (still in the 25/30 zone, I must add). This clown then got stuck behind other traffic and turned off in Breakers. Imagine risking your life and that of people around you to get to a yard in Breakers about 30 seconds sooner? this is the mentality we have in many of our road users. These crashes will not stop unless actual action is taken. Asking, praying, and hoping doesn’t work.
The Subaru had been travelling eastbound when the pissed up and speeding driver lost control and wrapped it round a tree.
Fixed that for you.
I have had similar Ejits overtake me due to me adhering to the speed limit, then in less that 50 meters pull into a driveway or street , forcing me to emergency brake to avoid hitting the ass of their ( fill in blank space of vehicle type _______)..
There is just zero excuse for this style of driving . It could be someone’s wife, daughter or son or an elderly driver with less reaction time to avoid an accident.
The consequences for this style of driving are serious ones, but the frigging violators continue unabated.
The fact that we have a very large number of very good drivers on the road here is testament to the relative low number of accidents. When you tally just how many accidents we are having, that is saying a lot if you were to consider the contrary. It could be a hell of a lot worse than we have now, as absolutely crazy as that sounds?
Tis the season to drive like knobheads, tra la la la la la la la la.
I was stuck in traffic for over an hour because of someone’s stupidity.
Two people are in hospital now because of someone else’s stupidity.
The lawmakers and law enforcement need to do better. All these minor smashes need to have the culprit prosecuted. Those involved in serious accidents due to their actions need to face punishments in keeping with the carnage they cause. Unfortunately for this young man, he found out the hard way what the potential riskscan be.
Kurt, what about the innocents whose lives are now continuously under threat by the abysmal driving standards now so prevalent? Standards that have been in constant deterioration for two decades, all under the watchful eye of robust law enforcers that cost us millions.
No automated ticketing
No speed cameras
Just old school and expensive policing creating the excuse that the cops cannot be everywhere at all times. That is the joy of technology. We actually could do most of it without needing yet more cops.
But no. You know better. Our society deteriorates and more people die.