College student dies in vehicular accident at Chateaubelair

A young resident of Troumaca is this country’s latest road fatality.

Onixy Hamilton, a second year student at the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College, died shortly after 2 o’clock Saturday morning, on the road in the neighbouring North Leeward town of Chateaubelair.

SEARCHLIGHT understands that Hamilton had been driving the family vehicle, a Toyota Rav 4, earlier that morning, when the bonnet opened, and not being able to get it shut, he asked a neighbour to help.

According to reports, while attending to the vehicle, the neighbour asked Hamilton to use his car, PK 598, a Toyota Corolla, to take three friends of his to Chateaubelair. After dropping off the passengers, Hamilton picked up his friend Carlson Harry, who was at popular entertainment spot “Annancy Hideaway” in the same area. While there, he is also said to have met with another young man who was driving a Suzuki Escudo PP 997.

One party goer told SEARCHLIGHT that Hamilton and the other young driver were racing along the waterfront stretch in Chateaubelair when the car Hamilton was driving slammed into the wall surrounding the fish market, part of which collapsed from the impact.

Hamilton died on the spot, while Harry suffered a broken right leg and arm.

According to reports, the driver of the other vehicle did not stop; he travelled to Rose Bank, where he met a motorist from Chateaubelair and told him about the accident; then to Troumaca, where he also informed the owner of the vehicle that it had been involved in an accident.

When persons arrived on the scene of the accident, both victims were reportedly alive, but Hamilton died shortly after.

According to an eyewitness, Harry’s seatbelt was fastened and a broken bottle had to be used to cut the belt to remove him from the vehicle. The eyewitness also said after several tugs on the door, Harry was removed and taken to the Chateaubelair hospital by a police officer from the Rapid Respose Unit who arrived at the scene.

Hamilton remained in the vehicle until his body was removed by the undertakers several hours later, as the door frame between the right driver and passenger doors had to be cut before the door could be opened to allow removal of the body.

Sean Rodney, who originally hails from Rose Hall, but now resides in the USA, was one of the men whom Hamilton gave the ride to Chateaubelair in the Toyota Corolla PK 598.

He told SEARCHLIGHT that he was one of the first persons to arrive on the scene.

“It pained me to see the youth that I had been with only half hour before dead; this is going to stay with me for the rest of my life.”

Rodney also said that the response time by the police was very slow and when they got on the scene, they had no light nor did anyone have a knife to cut the seat belt and free the victims.

“The police need to be prepared for emergencies like these; this is unacceptable in a developing country,” he stated.

Rodney said that he sympathizes with the families and he hopes that other young persons would take better care when driving on the roads.

The communities of Troumaca as well as Chateaubelair, where Hamilton spent his earlier life and most of his weekends with his grandmother until she passed in July last year, are in shock and mourning. Many remember him as a quiet and mannerly youth with great promise.

Hildred Murray of Chateaubelair told SEARCHLIGHT that she was in shock and couldn’t believe that Onixy was involved in an accident at that time, as he was not accustomed to be out during the wee hours.

“I cried for that young man. I have known him all his life and never had an issue with him; he was such a good boy who we all expected to be successful in life,” Murray said.

Hamilton was a graduate of the St Vincent Grammar School and a second year student of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College; his career goal was to be a biologist. He is survived by his parents Samuel and Diana Hamilton. Samuel is a sailor who was at port in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at the time of the accident; he arrived home last Sunday. Onixy’s siblings are Miles and Samuel Jr. He will be buried on Sunday, January 15 at Chateaubelair.