Better highway oversight needed
ON A recent journey, I noticed several cones, debris, and oil with sand near the Mammee Bay termination of the North-South Highway. I recalled seeing images of the spectacular aftermath of a crash that occurred there quite a few days before and wondered why oil and sand were still on the surface.
My curiosity about how that terrible crash occurred was satisfied when I happened to speak with the driver of the ill-fated truck. He related driving down the slope of the highway, in the left lane, headed into Mammee Bay when he noticed smoke from the back of his sleeper cabin. He was accompanied by his girlfriend. It was the first time taking a trip with him. He signalled to pull over to check the source of the smoke, but as he applied the foot brake, he realised that there was no “traction”.
He applied the foot brake again, but the vehicle sped up. He moved over to the right lane in an effort to gain “traction”, but that did not work. The truck increased speed. He eased off the foot brake (the engine brake was already on). He headed towards the left lane, but there was traffic ahead, so he sounded his horn. They never came out of his path. He went from left to right and back again trying to avoid hitting the vehicles in front of him. He banked the truck against the wall and his tyre burst.
He recalled noticing “a pool of oil” on the road surface as the truck increased speed. He aimed for the emergency ramp and steered towards the sandy section. The truck went up the ramp at high speed, hit the tyres at the top and became airborne. He felt as if the trailer section hooked on to something and it yanked the cab back towards the ground. It landed on the side and burst into flames.
He released his seatbelt, searched for the dislodged fire extinguisher and started putting out the fire that was already burning at his girlfriend’s feet. After releasing her seatbelt, he tried pulling her out, but her arm was stuck. The fire raged and she told him to leave her. When efforts failed, she repeated that she was going to burn up, so he must leave her. He refused, so she asked him to cut off her arm. He was about to comply but attempted four more vigorous efforts to free her. With her assistance, she came loose.
He used the fire extinguisher to break the glass and hoisted her out. Then he passed out because of the smoke. He reported feeling fresh air, which revived him, and he heard a voice telling him that it was his turn now.
Once out of immediate danger, he heard a policeman express surprise that “the driver” was still alive after five minutes in the fiery cab. He was shocked when the police refused to take his girlfriend into the patrol car because she would “blood up the vehicle”. They stopped a passing motorist, but no police escorted the vehicle to the hospital. Without an escort, the journey took longer.
There was a reported fatality, but he was unaware of it. He surmised that he could have been a hitchhiker who hid behind his cargo. In spite of his lifethreatening experience, the indifference of the police was foremost in his mind.
There needs to be a change in the way that the North-South Highway is managed. Hazards must be removed post-haste. Speeding tickets aren’t everything. I witnessed a crash and the police refused to exit their vehicle, claiming no raincoats, while we all stood in the rain. This reported refusal to transport injured civilians begs for retraining.