Stakeholders lament impact of road traffic incidents amidst fatality

While stakeholders in health, law enforcement and motor insurance were expressing concern about the negative impact the high number of road traffic accidents were having on various sectors in the country, motorists and onlookers in the Fountain area were working earnestly to save the lives of two passengers who had been involved in a two-vehicle crash.

One of the passengers, Somuro Richardson, a 23-year-old carpenter of Barrouallie, later succumbed to his injuries after being transported to hospital.

The fatal accident was highlighted by Assistant Superintendent of Police, Parnell Browne, during the panel discussion held on May 28, during Road Safety Awareness Week 2025 hosted by the Traffic Branch of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF).

Medical Registrar at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, Dr Najah Peters, in her presentation, said the impact of road traffic incidents on health is not widely considered by the public, and noted the ripple effect it can have, as well as the strain on the country’s resources considering that the number of incidents has been increasing over the years.

“It is actually one of the greatest public health burdens that we actually encounter and it is not just in St Vincent and the Grenadines; it is global,” she said.

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