Businessman injured after crashing into trailer

Local police are now adopting a zero tolerance attitude in relation to trailers which are not operated in compliance with the Law.{{more}}

The position of Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (SVGPF) was articulated by Head of the Traffic Department Assistant Superintendant of Police (ASP) Kenneth John during an interview with SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday evening.

“It is zero tolerance now, with trailers. They have been warned several times. The Commissioner had a meeting with them, they were lots of radio programmes….,” John said.

This more vigilant approach follows a vehicular accident last Saturday evening, in which local businessman Jules Williams was injured when the vehicle he was driving smashed into a trailer parked in industrial estate at Campden Park.

The businessman told SEARCHLIGHT that at about 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, he was travelling through Campden Park, heading towards his home at Questelles, and had just turned right on to the road leading towards the St. Vincent Brewery Ltd.

As he looked straight ahead, Williams said all he saw was a large red container parked on the right hand side of the road, in the area just between Bottlers St. Vincent Ltd. and East Caribbean Metals Industry Ltd.

Then out of no where, “Bang!”

The protruding edge of a trailer, parked about 40 feet in front of the red container, had ripped through his Subaru Forester, shattering the windscreen and twisting and tearing the hood of the vehicle.

Williams said he managed to get out of the vehicle himself, and it was not until someone said that he needed to go to the hospital, that he realised how badly injured he was.

He was covered with blood and had received several cuts and bruises to face, especially in the area around his eyes, forehead, and to the right side of his body.

His vehicle was completely written off.

Williams said the way the trailer was parked in front of the red container, created an optical illusion that there was nothing in front of the container.

“You are not seeing the trailer. You are automatically seeing the container, as the container is red, and the trailer has no colour, no reflector, so in effect, it became invisible,” Williams explained.

“Plus it was raining, reducing visibility even more,” he added.

Williams is however thankful that his sight and moreso his life were spared.

Although he received several stitches around the area of his eyes and the rest of his face, the eyeballs themselves were not permanently damaged.

He disclosed that the bandages on his eyes were removed on Wednesday, and his opthalmologist has reassured him that his eyes will be okay.

Although one eye is still very bloodshot, he can see out of both eyes, he confirmed.

ASP John told SEARCHLIGHT that as recently as June this year, Commissioner of Police Keith Miller held a meeting with owners of trailers.

The meeting John said, which was attended by approximately 80 per cent of trailer owners, was called to impress upon owners the need to register and license their trailers in accordance with the law, and to have reflectors placed on them, so that they can be easily seen at night.

John said, the issue of where the trailers are parked was also discussed with the owners.

While trailer owners are allowed to park them off the road in suitable positions, some owners John said, have been parking the trailers in dangerous positions.

The traffic department head said since that meeting, the majority of trailers are now registered and licensed.

“If you look at the rear of the trailers, you will see a regisration plate on most of them.”

“There are still some lingering behind, and with that accident, those trailers that are parked in dangerous positions, we are going to move them, and the owners will be required to pay a fine according to the law.”

John disclosed that over the last weekend, a trailer was removed from where it had been parked at Campden Park, while another was removed on Wednesday afternoon. Plans were in place, he said, for a third dangerously parked trailer to be removed on Thursday morning.

“Once we meet any parked in dangerous positions, we are going to move them!” John stated.

In addition to the fine charged for removing the trailer, owners will also be required to pay a fine for every day that the trailer remains in the custody of the police.

The ASP disclosed that his officers are presently on the road, on the look out for any trailer which is not registered or licensed.

The driver and owner of any trailer not in compliance with the law will be prosecuted, he said.

“Our aim at Traffic is safety,” John stated.