Police appeal for witnesses in fatal collision
Susan Simoy Sumalapao
(CNS): Officers investigating the death of Susan Simoy Sumalapao (56), who was killed on Thursday morning as she attempted to cross the Esterley Tibbetts Highway, are appealing to anyone who may have seen the collision to come forward. The investigators said they were interested in talking with some particular witnesses that were in a dark-coloured Chevrolet Avalanche that passed the area at the exact time of the collision.
Sumalapao was struck by a Ford Edge SUV on the southbound side of the highway just after the Yacht Club Roundabout at around 8am.
Anyone who has information about the incident is asked to contact PC 157 Thomas of the Traffic and Roads Policing Unit at 649-6254. If PC Thomas is unavailable, any other officers present can also assist. Calls after hours should be routed to the George Town Police Station at 949-4222.
Category: Local News, Police
We as Caymanians are so negative. I sat here and read every comment and its so sad to see that all we do is play the blame game. Blaming the woman, the man,God, the roads and how they are set. I am a teen and i dont know if its just a bunch of old grumpy unhappy people that leave comments on this site but wow…. Grow up. Stuff happens, people die. Its a very tragic case, if you have information help, if not move along. RIP to the poor woman who was only trying to get to work and I hope that the man can also find peace after all that has happened. I myself have tried to cross that road and other places and I will say that we have some mean ass drivers on the road who cant even take two seconds out of there day to let anyone cross. Lets make Cayman a better place not a bitchy one.
Though I see your point and maybe it’s because you’re not an experienced driver, but cars stopping on roads like the ETH is extremely dangerous. Also, if the man had stopped his car to let the victim cross the road: she was crossing at a junction on that roundabout by the Yacht Club meaning cars coming around the roundabout may not have seen a car stopped (to allow her to cross), meaning a car could’ve collided into the back of the man’s car by accident and then that could’ve led to this woman being hit anyway. I’m afraid this isn’t a solution at all… it’s fine on slower roads but not on a highway with a speed limit of 40mph. My personal opinion is that there needs to be access to the footpath below that bridge on the ETH (I believe it isn’t accessible yet for some reason).
I agree with ‘Good Governance’ author regarding putting in cross walks along Walkers Road in the school district. The drivers on that road at school pickup and drop off time are ridiculous, driving on the wrong side of the road to get around cars who have stopped to let kids cross, and NEVER a police officer in site. The school bus drivers also think they are exempt from driving laws as they throw their large buses around the cars at excessive speed. Will it take one of our children to get hit before something is done there?
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/rules-for-pedestrians-1-to-35
it is not a Highway, it is a divided roadway with a 40MPH speed limit. Lack of police presence and enforcement of even the most basic traffic laws have given the residents of this country the green light to do whatever they want on the roads.
the problem is speed. at 40mph you should have ample opportunity to see anything ahead of you.
Actually at 40 miles an hour you have less than 1 second to react to someone jumping 30-40 feet in front of you.
Chill out stone thrower.
And you stop the name calling, bone head.
Which tends to prove the validity of he stone thrower comment.
If you say so, captain logic
Seems you don’t know much about the circumstances of the collision. Speed wasn’t the issue for this accident
how do you know?
There is nothing to suggest speed caused the accident.
I agree with you 100%
Um no, the stopping distance at 40mph is well over 100ft… https://www.drivingtestsuccess.com/pages/stopping-distances-and-the-theory-test
Plus: this accident occurred just off that roundabout by the Yacht Club… there’s no way the driver could’ve gone close to 40mph by the time he hit the victim, that particularly part of the roundabout is really sharp so it forces drivers to go slower… stop blaming a guy whose life has been completely destroyed by terrible luck. It could’ve been any of us, get off your high horse.
Why did the Police wait 5 days after the accident to ask people to come forward with information about the accident ? In a real good Police Department they would have started that investigation immediately especially when a death is involved .
Quite. If they were looking for the Avalanche they’d have probably found it same time same place the next day… probably not now.
The country is the Cayman Islands.
The year is 2018.
The road in question is a main thoroughfare.
There are regular reports of speeding and racing along these stretches.
The road is undoubtedly an escape route for SMB armed-robbers and car thieves.
Is there NO CCTV FOOTAGE for the police to review and come to a conclusion??
Ffs. Where did those spent millions go?
Slot machines and jewelry shops. This much we know.
So do you want the bridge from camana bay or not? When this poor lady crossed a road and was hit you shout out about a cross over bridge. But when the cb bridge is being built it must be stopped. You can’t have it both ways. I hope they check the drivers phone to make sure he wasn’t on it.
A bredren
They want it both ways. They are proud to hold themselves to double standards.
Wake up from your hypnotic DART induced stupor, the DART TUNNELS are not pedestrian bridges, that was another DART lie, they are foundations for more DART mega structres.
Cool. That makes more jobs for locals to apply for. Again, wtf do you want?
WARNING: Straw man ploy.
Amazing feat of technology to build a major road between two, mile wide, shore lines and leave NO pedestrian crossings. Who would have thought that NRA would have thought before building?
Don’t forget our great leader and savior Dart.
DART did all of the design, the NRA was shut out by both Alden and Mac, they are both owned by DART.
Did Dart design the ring road around the airport too? What about South Sound road, they design that one?
Yes. The south sound road. No consideration for fish to cross the road to come inland. This PROVES Dart has no responsibility for the safety of roads he builds.
You just won me over with that one.
The NRA was required to review the road design. It was the NRA who specifically did NOT want pedestrian crossings on the ETH, including the ETH through Camana Bay and the ETH in West Bay. But even if the NRA did allow pedestrian crossings, that can’t prevent human error, whether pedestrians or drivers.
all NRA stupidity!
Pretty sure the even the most loyal Dartonian can see that this is their fault. They should have built a pedestrian overpass for that death trap of a road. RIP lady and heal well young man.
May be it’s your damn fault for not bringing up your self righteous holier than thou stupid comments here earlier?
U mad bro?
Disagree respectfully @ 4:29 pm
DART paid for and built the roads then handed them over to CIG.
CIG should be held responsible for not adding cross-walks or over passage ways for the entire public. After-all, DART built you the roads, the least you could do is pay for the additional infrastructure to ensure safe crossing for all pedestrians or cyclists. With all the money CIG have at their disposal, this could have been avoided.
Doing 40 mph in a 40 mph zone is acceptable. After-all it’s the speed limit.
This accident has made history, in a horrible way. A mother of three is gone, and it’s sad beyond repair.
Who’s next, a mum or dad pushing a pram across the 4 lane road to take their kid(s) for a morning stroll!? We can’t ignore this. We must address it now before we lose more lives unnecessarily.
To DART & CIG: Between the pair of you, please get it sorted!
I witnessed a certain large company building said highway and failing to include a way to get across it. Who do I give this information to.
Yeh, cos CIG roads are great, right? Get over yourself. RIP.
Well, we’re talking about this particular road, madame.
when last did you cross a US HIGHWAY
You keep saying that, over and over, and it is still not relevant to the discussion.
When last did a US bus drop someone off for work on a US highway and expect them to cross it to get to their place of employment? The Cayman bypass is NOT the same as a US highway. No matter how many times you say that it is.
9:28 highway vs bypass take your risk
Alden and Mac.
For the good of it!!
Such a beautiful smile. May she Sleep in Peace. God be with her family.
God grant peace to the young man involved as well and God be with him and his loved ones also. Cayman continue to be mindful of your speed. Don’t be aggressive drivers and also try to think for pedestrians. We want to avoid another tragedy for drivers and pedestrians.
God ? Wtf. Wake up.
This is a simple case of forgetting that people need to cross the road and people not paying attention while they drive. A god has nothing to do with that.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion so I don’t see why you coming for this person the devil must be residing in you for the word GOD to affect you in such a way. GOD is needed in every situation may GOD BE WITH YOU!
Yeah, sure. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. However, whenever there is a tragedy of some sort, somehow god is invoked as a symbol or message of comfort, when in fact, it is the same god who allowed this tragedy to occur in the first place. I have a problem with bible thumpers who offer god in every situation, when in fact it solves none of the problems at all. Build a bridge or paint a pedestrian crossing are physical solutions to a problem that has taken someone’s life.
This death was part of God’s loving plan for us. Apparently. Mysterious ways. Mysterious ways.
Pretty f*cked up plan if you feel the need to take someone’s life in such a violent way.
Calm down Satan.
It was a man made accident. God gave man free will, even the will to dismiss him.
Calm down!
This isn’t the first time this lady has attempted to cross this highway, I’ve had to blow my horn at her twice in the past for trying to cross the road, similar instance as-well another vehicle was on the outer lane and didn’t see her as she stands in-line with a pole and you don’t see her until she steps onto the road. It’s unfortunate this has happened but I do believe others who have witnessed her attempting this same practice should speak up as-well.
Please be careful crossing these bypasses. Today I witnessed a girl maybe between age 9-12 walking her bike across the two which turn Into three lanes going southbound right after the Galleria roundabout. She would have had to wait there and cross the remaining two lanes which wouldn’t be as bad. The problem with crossing close to these roundabouts is that cars have reduced line of vision coming out of/ around them. Myself and another car were coming around about the head into the southbound lanes. The girl walking her bike had just cleared my left side lane and the person driving the car to my right who had also I believe just come around the roundabout had to stop I believe go allow her to complete her crossing.
Please, please NRA let’s put up some more cross overheads or underpasses to help people who do not have vehicles get safely across. She may have been a CIS pupil.
CPHS/St Ignatius – really need a shared cross walk on Walkers Road with crossing lights there. Accident waiting to happen. CIFEC opposite Vampt have one but it’s sort of faded into the road – also proper cross lights the pupils can press there would help them as often people do not stop.
We have to do better for our most vulnerable members of society.
It’s YOUR job to also pay attention and let pedestrians safely cross the road. Or is the road only for you ?
What?! So people can just cross the road blindly and put all the responsibility on car drivers? Grow up. It’s both parties’ jobs!!
Again; it’s the builder of the roads responsibly to produce a product that isn’t a death gamble to use.
if this accident did not happen the only pass you all would be thinking
about would be how fast your car could pass on Dart road
Then slow down.
You know people can be killed on impact at 30mph right? The man couldn’t have been speeding, it was literally just off the roundabout! Stop blaming him when this woman clearly did not check the road carefully before jumping out in front of the cars.
No idea of the circumstances, but to say he couldn’t be speeding is just wrong.
I am not saying it applied in this case, but as a frequent user of this road I can tell you there is no shortage of people going through the roundabout way over 40, and following so close to the ca in front that they have no forward vision for the distance it would take then to come to a stop.
I drive that road daily and there is NO WAY you can be going 40mph where the accident occurred. I am not doubting that many people go well over 40mph further down the road, but the particular spot where the accident happened is just off the roundabout after that really sharp corner… 40mph around that corner and you’re toppling over/skidding off into the bush (like I learned the hard way, yes, have a go at me).
Thank you finally someone using common sense. It is horrible that the lady lost her life and there is nothing that will change that at this point. But this could have happened to anyone of us. Even after this horrible incident people continue to run in front of moving vehicles attempting to cross the street.
Please do! That poor man has to suffer as well …
Do a favour..go to the police station and talk to them. They need witness to find how why and what happen. You said you saw her before walking across road.
What does that have to do with it?
Proof that she did not know how to cross the road.
And yes, there is a way to cross roads safely.
educate us?
Bring chair, lunch and plenty of water (it’s hot out there!) sit by road. Wait for end of civilization and cars. Cross road, and don’t forget your chair and lunch debris.
Perhaps check for cars and how fast they’re coming before jumping into the road? Maybe don’t cross at a junction where people will be accelerating after coming around a corner with blindspots everywhere? Wait for a long enough gap between cars? Perhaps go to a section of a road where car drivers can clearly see you crossing from at least 200ft away (the stopping distance for 40mph is over 100ft). I say all of this because I nearly hit this very same woman so many times because she did not spend more than 1 second deciding to jump out onto that road (after standing behind a light post where no drivers can even see her trying to cross?!). And no, I do not go over 40mph. I don’t mean to sound insensitive but there IS a correct way to cross a road… I know the road is ridiculous with no crossings, but the woman was careless and paid the ultimate price; I am very very sorry to her family and friends for their loss which could’ve been avoided.